Reforest California - Buy Coke at Stater Bros. to Help State Parks Recover from Wildfire Damage

  STATER BROS., COCA-COLA AND CALIFORNIA STATE PARKS TEAM UP TO REFOREST WILDFIRE AREAS: GOAL TO PLANT ONE MILLION TREES

Public-Private Partnership to “Generate Growth” During Economic Downturn

San Bernardino, CALIF. (April 7, 2009)  –  Stater Bros. Supermarkets, Coca-Cola, and California State Parks today announced ‘Reforest California,’ a campaign to raise much-needed funds for reforestation and fire prevention in California State Parks hit hard by wildfires over the past six years.  Cuyamaca Rancho State Park near San Diego and Chino Hills State Park in San Bernardino County, two areas heavily impacted by the wildfires, will be the primary recipients of the campaign’s goal to add one million native trees.

With the slogan “Join the Million Tree Challenge,” the campaign challenges consumers and private businesses to participate and raise money towards the goal of creating 1,800 acres of newly planted trees – an area more than twice the size of Lake Arrowhead.  It is estimated that this could result in seven million dollars in environmental savings each year due to energy conservation and reduced pollution.  To supplement the campaign’s reforestation efforts, a fire prevention education program will be implemented in five State parks:  Cuyamaca Rancho, Chino Hills, Silverwood Lake, Mount San Jacinto and Palomar Mountain State Parks.

To support their local communities, shoppers at Stater Bros. Supermarkets will have the opportunity to make a one-dollar tax-deductible donation to reforestation efforts at checkout or online at http://www.reforestcalifornia.com/.

Stater Bros. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jack H. Brown, who is a former member of the Del Rosa Hot Shots, an elite firefighting crew, says, “Helping the communities we are privileged to serve is a priority for the over 19,000 members of the Stater Bros. ‘Family’ of Employees.  Our ‘Valued’ Customers as well as many Stater Bros. employees were and continue to be affected by the recent wildfires in Southern California.  Stater Bros. is proud to support the Million Tree Challenge to build a better tomorrow for all.”

With today’s economic downturn and state budget challenges, public entities in the Golden State increasingly will look to private resources for support.

 “In light of the devastating losses California’s State parks have suffered in recent years from forest fires, this program is most welcome,” said Ruth Coleman, director of California State Parks.  “Coca-Cola and Stater Bros. are handing us a crucial life-line at just the right time, and on behalf of the millions of visitors who love our parklands, we applaud this effort.”

"The Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Southern California is pleased to have the opportunity to support this sustainable project, something that has such a long-lasting, positive impact on the local community,” said Terence Fitch, Vice President and General Manager of the Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Southern California.  “As the local Coca-Cola bottler, we have a long tradition of being involved in the communities in which we do business and feel a strong responsibility to our people and business partners to help make our communities better places to live.  Being able to fund a public-interest project like this, despite state budget shortfalls and the current economic downturn, means a lot to our local communities.”

The ‘Reforest California’ campaign in Stater Bros. Supermarkets will run from April 8 through May 19, 2009.