SAVE MART SUPERMARKETS SHOW LOVE FOR SACRAMENTO CITY POOLS BY LEADING $1 MILLION FUND-RAISING EFFORT AND STEPPING UP AS BIGGEST DONOR
Partnership with City Seen as One of the Most Innovative Public-Private Partnerships in the U.S.
(Sacramento, Calif. – February 14, 2012) — What is more satisfying on a hot summer day than a cool dip in a swimming pool? Everyone can relate but sadly with severe budget cuts needed across municipalities nationwide, many children only look longingly at their local community pool with disappointment. Save Mart stores in Sacramento want to change that and help local families be able to enjoy their community pools by the time the mercury starts to rise in the Valley. Through the “Help Save Mart Save Our Pools” campaign, Save Mart has pledged to match up to $500,000 in donations from businesses and the community at large, thus potentially making $1 million dollars available to support pool maintenance and programs within the City of Sacramento.
Last July, The New York Times zeroed in on Sacramento when it outlined the chronic problem cities were having nationwide with funding their city pools. Last summer, Sacramento was only able to fund six public pools and five public wading pools for the season due to necessary budget cuts. Again this year there are insufficient funds in the City’s budget to open any of the pools. Save Mart’s leadership was inspired by this article to do something to give back to the communities in Sacramento that support them. Save Mart’s mission is to support families and their pursuit to lead healthy, active lifestyles in the communities they serve; which is exactly what community pools do best. Save Mart approached the City of Sacramento with the campaign idea and the City has jumped on board to help rally the community around the effort.
Beginning on Valentine’s Day, Save Mart will kick off its community fund-raising campaign in partnership with the City of Sacramento. Businesses and the community at large are asked to give generously at their local Save Mart stores by purchasing a paper “Help Save Mart Save Our Pools” icon for a $1.00 or more. The campaign will run for two months from February 14 to April 10, ending just in time for the City to begin maintenance needed for the pools to open on time.
Save Mart supports the communities where it does business and after reading the New York Times article, the Sacramento City pools seemed like the perfect opportunity for Save Mart to give back to the neighborhoods surrounding its Sacramento stores. “Every bit helps,” explained Steve Junqueiro, President and Chief Operating Officer of Save Mart. “We’d love to see businesses join us as a sponsor, but we’d also love to see kids in those neighborhoods be inspired to hold car washes or lemonade stands and then donate their money to their local Save Mart where we can double their effort through our matching commitment.”
“For Sacramento, this opportunity comes at the perfect time. Every day, community pools across the country are closing their doors as funds dry up,” said Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson. “But thanks to ‘Save Our Pools’, Sacramento has the chance to bring back a traditional summer activity for families and become a model for how public-private partnerships can succeed. I look forward to working with Save Mart on a campaign that will be a huge win for Sacramento.”
“Since budget cuts hit River Park’s Glen Hall Pool in 2009, we activated our community to raise $36,000 to keep it open each summer,” explained Jeff Harris, past president of the River Park Neighborhood Association. “These pools are gathering places for our neighborhoods; a place kids learn to swim, build self esteem, and create lasting memories. We are grateful for Save Mart’s initiative to help take pool fund-raising to the next level so our kids can enjoy their pool again this year.”
How to Give
Save Mart Supermarkets has committed to match up to $500,000 in donations from any source in the community. Therefore the campaign has the direct potential to raise $1 million. Community members are encouraged to donate through various channels:
- At Save Mart and FoodMaxx stores – Purchase a paper “Help Save Mart Save Our Pools” icon in any amount inside Sacramento Save Mart and FoodMaxx stores. Donors can write their name or any message on their icon, which will be displayed in the store where they donated. Visit [link no longer available] for participating store list
- Text to donate – Text POOLS to 80888 to make a $10 donation
(Available to AT&T and T-Mobile customers now; Sprint and Verizon customers in March.) - Online – Go to [link no longer available] to donate any amount via PayPal
- Facebook donations – Save Mart will donate $5 per “Like” from February 28 – March 13, 2012 (www.facebook.com/mysavemart)
- Business donors and/or sponsors – Please contact Alicia Rockwell at arockwell@savemart.com for information on available sponsorship opportunities that include exposure throughout the campaign and in the community. Business sponsorship information is also available at [link no longer available]. All corporate donations by check will be made through Save Mart CARES – Community, Arts, Recreation, Education, Sports. Save Mart CARES is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that supports nonprofit charitable groups and programs in California’s Central Valley.
- Support Our Partners: Look for specially marked “Save Our Pools” items throughout the store. Purchasing these items shows support for our partners who have donated to help save Sacramento community pools.
Participating Save Mart Supermarkets in Sacramento:
| Save Mart Supermarkets 3291 Truxel Rd. Sacramento, CA 95833 |
Save Mart Supermarkets 2735 Marconi Ave. Sacramento, CA 95821 |
Save Mart Supermarkets 9137 Kiefer Blvd. Sacramento, CA 95826 |
| Save Mart Supermarkets 5600 Folsom Blvd Sacramento, CA 95819 |
Save Mart Supermarkets 2501 Fair Oaks Blvd Sacramento, CA 95825 |
Save Mart Supermarkets 7960 Gerber Road Sacramento, CA 95828 |
| Save Mart Supermarkets 4708 Manzanita Avenue Carmichael, CA 95608 |
FoodMaxx 3860 Florin Rd. Sacramento, CA 95823 |
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About Save Mart Supermarkets
Save Mart Supermarkets, a California corporation, owns and operates 232 stores in Northern California and Northern Nevada under the Save Mart, S-Mart Foods, Lucky, Maxx Value Foods, and FoodMaxx banners. Headquartered in Modesto, Calif. since the company was founded in 1952, Save Mart Supermarkets has always believed in supporting local suppliers and producers, and is actively engaged with the charities and causes of the communities where its stores do business. For more information on the stores of Save Mart Supermarkets, please visit www.SaveMart.com, www.LuckySupermarkets.com, and www.FoodMaxx.com.