Cali Paddler is excited to announce our newest recipient of the 5% Paddler Pledge, California State Parks Foundation. We will be donating 5% of our first quarter proceeds to this great organization.
You might have seen that we recently had our first ever Cali Paddler Retreat in Santa Barbara and it was a tremendous success! What made the retreat so great, besides the amazing agenda and fantastic group of people attending was the picture-perfect location. We spent the weekend at Refugio State Beach Campground. Refugio is a small campground right on the coast just north of Santa Barbara. We literally walked our paddle craft from the group campsite down to the sand and into the water. It was especially memorable for me because it was my son’s first camp-out, and who could ask for a better group of people and a better location. It was because of this amazing experience at such a wonderful state beach that we decided we wanted to partner with the California State Parks Foundation (CSPF). Your support and purchases with Cali Paddler are what allow us the opportunity to make this donation to CSPF. Thank You, Cali Paddlers
Who Are They? CSPF, founded in 1969 is the largest statewide nonprofit dedicated to the state parks across California, from Pelican State Beach all the way down to Border Field State Park.
What Do They Do? “CSPF works to enhance state parks with advocacy, education programs, capital projects, grants and fundraising.” They are the voice for the state parks. It is because of their efforts that the parks get proper funding, are kept in great working shape, and stay protected, so that we can continue to enjoy them for generations. They “strive to make our parks as excellent as they can be.”
Why Is It Important? Click here to see how many of our California state parks are located on the coast or near a major water feature inland. For those of us who appreciate paddling in beautiful protected and well managed areas we have the parks to thank for this. Take a minute to look up the state parks in your area, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised to see how many there are. How many have you been to? Growing up on the North Coast my favorite park was, and still is today, MacKerricher State Park, although Refugio State Beach is a close second.
How can you support? April is Earth month, and I can’t think of a better way to show support for CSPF than to visit a California State Park! When you visit the State Parks, your entrance fee helps to keep the park safe and open so that everyone can enjoy it. Visit the CSPFs website (calparks.org) to learn more about opportunities on volunteering, becoming a member, or learn about all the magnificent work they do. If you made a purchase with Cali Paddler in 2017 you have already contributed to the 5% Paddle Pledge going to CSPF.
To learn more about the our 5% Paddle Pledge, and see the wonderful groups we have had the honor of supporting, please click here.
Director of Non-Profit Relations Josh Olson -Josh has been a supporter of our conservation and stewardship vision from the very start. Even when he and his wife had a newborn baby, they were with us at our beach clean-ups. It is part of his nature to seek out opportunities to make our waterways and beaches cleaner and healthier. So when the opportunity to add Josh to our team as our non-profit liaison became open, we were thrilled.
With a background in the outdoor recreation industry, and diverse paddling resume from kayak training and certification to outrigger canoe racing, Josh knows what it is like to be a paddler. And how a company like Cali Paddler can make a difference given the right energy and passion. Josh embraces the role of seeking out amazing environmental groups in our state, and creating relationships with them. So we can promote their efforts, and share with all the paddlers in our state these great groups. In addition, we will be adding to our 5% Paddler Pledge recipient list, and Josh will be thoroughly researching these great groups, to ensure that your purchases are worthy of your donations with each product you buy.
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