Watsonville, CA — This Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 5-6, West Marine customers will have a holiday-inspired opportunity to support the organization's BlueFuture Fund™ at stores across North America. Give Back Weekend is the official kickoff for the company's three-week December fundraiser, which ends Dec. 24.
BlueFuture paper ornaments will be available for purchase at all 265 West Marine store locations, and 100 percent of the proceeds collected from ornament sales will go to benefit the not-for-profit fund.
"To support BlueFuture, a customer simply purchases an ornament, prints his or her name on it, and adds it to the store's 'Wall of Giving,'" says Lindsey Johnson, West Marine's Director of Communications. "The ornament will remain on display until the fundraiser ends Dec. 24."
According to Johnson, Give Back Weekend and the weeks leading up to the Christmas holiday are critical for the continued growth of the BlueFuture Fund, which distributes tens of thousands of dollars annually to dozens of not-for-profit organizations, many of which are focused on youth-based recreation and educational initiatives in, on and around the water.
"This fundraiser ensures that we can expand BlueFuture in 2016, broadening its reach to include even more organizations across North America," Johnson says. "These are much-needed grants for community-based programs, whose value is immeasurable when it comes to getting young people out on the water — learning new hands-on skills, engaging with marine sciences and sustainability practices, and so much more."
The BlueFuture Fund's 2015 grantees included the Alameda Community Sailing Center in Alameda, Calif.; Community Boating Center in Providence, R.I.; Merrohawke Nature School in Newburyport, Mass.; Navesink Maritime Heritage Association in Monmouth, N.J.; and Kids Can Fish Too in Port Orange, Fla., among several other youth-based organizations.
West Marine is the world's leading Waterlife Outfitter. It created the BlueFuture Fund in May 2015 to provide ongoing support to the causes that lie at the heart of its own mission: To nurture marine resources, reduce impact on the environment and promote waterfront recreation.
"We encourage all of our Associates, vendors, customers and friends to support the continued growth of BlueFuture, and to recommend worthy, not-for-profit organizations that are involved with youth boating, conservation and sustainability," Johnson says. "We recognize that grant funding is a vital piece of the annual budget for many of these organizations, and we want to do our part to help."
BlueFuture is a donor-advised fund set up through the Community Foundation of Santa Cruz County. All donations are fully tax-deductible. Interested supporters may visit a West Marine store location to purchase an ornament from Give Back Weekend through Dec. 24.
To learn more about the BlueFuture Fund, visit www.westmarine.com/bluefuture.
About West Marine
Founded by a sailor 1968, West Marine Inc. has grown to become the largest omni-channel specialty retailer exclusively offering boating gear, apparel and footwear, and other waterlife-related products to everyone who enjoys recreational time on or around the water. With more than 260 stores located in 38 states, Puerto Rico and Canada and an eCommerce website reaching domestic and international customers, West Marine is recognized as the dominant waterlife outfitter for cruisers, sailors, anglers and paddlesports enthusiasts. West Marine has everything you need for your life on the water. For more information about West Marine, its products and store locations, visit westmarine.com or call 1-800-BOATING (1-800-262-8464). West Marine's stock is traded on NASDAQ under the symbol WMAR.
