After decades of giving back to the community as part of its corporate culture, the owners of California Giant Berry Farms, a leading provider of strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries, have established a 501(c)3 non-profit to formalize the California Giant Foundation, which supports local organizations by donating well over $100,000 annually to charitable causes.

The California Giant Foundation was established with four pillars that will serve as the inspiration for charitable gifts, events and partnerships. Providing support in these areas will serve as a way for California Giant Berry Farms employees to give back to the community through organizations that are making a positive change in the health and wellness of current and future generations.

• Childhood Obesity & School Nutrition: The foundation’s signature event, Tour de Fresh, will continue to raise funds to put salad bars in schools and increase the demand for food education. Additional organizations that benefit include Santa Cruz Warriors Kids Club, Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools and more.
• Hunger & Food Insecurity: Support to local homeless and hunger-based organizations like food bank programs and Grind Out Hunger seek to significantly decrease the number of hungry families in the community.
• Prevention & Awareness: National and local support is given to organizations that affect change by educating and increasing awareness about prevalent diseases that affect so many. Organizations that benefit include American Cancer Society, Jacob’s Heart (children battling cancer) and Living Breath Foundation (Cystic Fibrosis), among others.
• Community: Support of local health and fitness initiatives that benefit employees of California Giant Berry Farms and their families, including Pajaro Valley Shelter Services, court-appointed special advocates, community sports programs and more.

“It’s always been in the California Giant Berry Farms DNA to support organizations that are making a difference by educating for change, but formalizing the Foundation shows our passion and commitment to support this movement for many years to come,” Cindy Jewell, vice president of marketing at California Giant Berry Farms, said in a press release. “The foundation has given our employees a sense of purpose far beyond providing fresh produce to consumers.”

Tour de Fresh, presented by The California Giant Foundation, is the first-of-its-kind, collaborative event that unites the most significant brands and influencers in the fresh produce industry for a four-day cycling event in October that raises funds to benefit the Let's Move Salad Bars to Schools campaign.

The inaugural event, in 2014, raised over $142,000 and placed more than 40 salads bars in communities in 11 states, including California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Texas, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia. The goal of the 2015 Tour de Fresh and its participants is to privately finance 100 or more new salad bars in school districts across the country.

At a cost of $3,000 per salad bar per school, sponsors and participants alike strongly believe that providing healthy eating opportunities for school children should be a requirement. Additional information about Tour de Fresh can be found at www.TourdeFresh.com and on the organization’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

“We are honored to be able to give the Tour de Fresh a long-term home and look forward to being a leader in this industry movement that is making a positive difference for childhood nutrition,” Bill Moncovich, president and chief executive officer of Watsonville-based California Giant Berry Farms, added in a press release. “We’re also very excited to set higher goals for this year’s ride that include putting 100 or more salad bars in schools.”

For more information about California Giant Berry Farms, visit www.calgiant.com or follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube.