Albertsons Summer Event Benefits Surfrider Foundation

Albertsons 100 Days of Summer Event was in full swing at the Albertsons supermarket (corner of Beach and Adams) in Huntington Beach this past Saturday, August 13^th.

When we arrived customers and employees alike were lining up to sample the spicy sauces in the supermarket chain’s barbecue sauce competition.

There were floral arrangements and decorated cakes to judge, too…all created by store employees. And, of course there was lots of food to eat.

Even Mickey Mouse in a Hula skirt was waiting in line with us to taste everything.

In addition to the festivities, Rick Griffin, District Manager, and Mark Beasley, Store Director for Albertsons in Huntington Beach, were on hand to award the Surfrider Foundation’s Huntington/Seal Beach Chapter a $5,000 check to support the chapter’s environmental activities. Albertsons raised the money by selling little paper surfboards to their customers for a donation of $1 to $5 during the first 10 days in August.

The money from the customers, combined with a matching donation from Albertsons, equaled $5,000. Beasley explained, “Albertsons is really involved in the community. So we are doing whatever it takes to keep our beaches clean. We’re going to become bag-less stores real soon. So we’re going to be using nothing but reusable bags.”

Tony Soriano, Surfrider’s H/SB Chapter Chairman, accepted a larger-than-life, cardboard replica of the check.

“It's great to have Albertsons as a partner advocating to the community to become a part of the ‘global solution’ (to ocean pollution),” said Soriano. “We appreciate the consideration from you and the employees of Albertsons Huntington Beach stores for providing Surfrider Foundation’s Huntington Beach/Seal Beach Chapter with your kind donation to help and support our mission.”

Seth Matson, H/SB Chapter Vice Chairman, pointed out that “This event is a good way to educate everyone.” He added that some of the money will be used to buy additional reusable bags to give out at Surfrider’s next bag give-away at Albertsons.

In keeping with the Days of Summer beach theme four surfboards were raffled off and the proceeds went to Surfrider.

Richard Payne, Albertsons Night Closing Manager, custom-designed the boards and shaped and glassed them himself. A skilled board-maker, Payne’s surfboards are much in demand through his sideline business, Pure Payne (purepayne@verizon.net).

Payne said that he likes working at night so that he can go surfing in the daytime. He is a top surfer with a 1st place win in the CCSA 2010 season Masters Division.

Photo taken by Robert O'Toole

For more information go to: http://hsbsurfrider.org/