Virgin America teams up with California State Parks Foundation for Earth Day 2013

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – Virgin America, the only California-based airline, is partnering for the sixth consecutive year with the California State Parks Foundation (CSPF) for its 16th Annual Earth Day to support vital environmental restoration and clean-up projects across the state. Virgin America teammates along with employees from Pacific Gas and Electric are pitching in today at San Francisco’s Candlestick Point State Recreation Area to clean up the shoreline, plant trees, assemble picnic tables and landscape, to help restore and preserve the park. Virgin America teammates in other cities across the country also are participating in local environmental clean-up events in support of Earth Day throughout April. In addition to Virgin America’s efforts on the ground, the airline was the first domestic airline to offer guests the ability to offset their carbon in-flight by using the Redโ„ข seatback touch-screen entertainment system to make a donation to CSPF or to offset the carbon emissions of their flight via the nonprofit Carbonfund.org.

“As California’s hometown airline, sustainability is important to our community, teammates and guests. We’re proud to continue our partnership with the CSPF for the sixth consecutive year in an effort to protect and restore our state’s natural resources,” said David Cush, President and CEO of Virgin America.

Virgin America teammates’ efforts at Candlestick Point State Recreation Area will help restore and improve the park’s community garden and shoreline. Candlestick Point State Recreation Area is the state’s first urban park and includes a community garden, open wildlife areas and other public spaces that support a better way of life in an underserved Bay Area neighborhood.

“Our continued partnership with Virgin America, an airline that has long supported environmental work, helps our efforts in maintaining our beautiful state parks,” said Elizabeth Goldstein, President of California State Parks Foundation. “Not only are Virgin teammates helping us on the ground by volunteering, Virgin also helps us from 35,000 feet by providing an in-flight donation option on its entertainment platform. The innovative contributions of time and financial resources from Virgin America and its generous flyers really help us in our mission to restore and preserve California’s natural treasures.”

Virgin America’s Earth Day efforts stretch across the nation, with teammate participation in clean-up and restoration projects in each of the airline’s destination cities. Virgin America teammates are supporting clean-up efforts in locations including the Potomac River basin in Washington D.C., the Mystic River basin in Boston, Sunset Park in Las Vegas, the Schuylkill River Trail in Philadelphia, and Baldwin Park in Orlando. Volunteers include members of Virgin America’s Green Team โ€“ a teammate-led group focused on finding innovative ways across the airline’s operations to reduce the company’s footprint.

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Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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