SOURCE: Sempra Energy
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October 21, 2009 17:54 ET
Sempra Energy Foundation Awards $1 Million in Grants for California Environmental Initiatives
SAN DIEGO, CA--(Marketwire - October 21, 2009) - Sempra Energy
Foundation today announced the winners of its inaugural Environmental
Champions Awards, totaling $1 million in grants to 30 California non-profit
groups focused on natural resource protection and conservation,
environmental education, and environmental health and safety.
"These organizations are on the leading edge of developing programs to
improve and protect our environment," said Jessie J. Knight Jr., chairman
of the Sempra Energy Foundation and executive vice president of external
affairs for Sempra Energy. "We're proud to honor and support these groups
in carrying out their mission, particularly during these difficult economic
times."
Each of the 30 winners was awarded $25,000 to $50,000 in individual grants.
Additionally, in San Diego, the Sempra Energy Foundation, I Love a Clean San Diego and San Diego's
KFMB-TV, through
Earth 8, have partnered to launch the "San Diego's Choice" contest.
Under the contest, people can vote online over the next two weeks at
www.cbs8.com/earth8 for their favorite environmental program among four of
the Environmental Champion winners in San Diego. The organization that
garners the most votes will earn an additional $50,000 bonus grant.
The four finalists for the Foundation's "San Diego's Choice" are OpenOceans Global, San Diego Audubon Society, Urban Corps of San Diego and the Wyland Foundation.
Each of the finalists is involved in innovative programs that the Sempra
Energy Foundation believes are making a great impact on the environmental
front in the San Diego community. OpenOceans Global and the Wyland
Foundation are pursuing coastal cleanup, revitalization and clean water
education, while San Diego Audubon Society is working to help connect
children and families with nature through field trips and learning
workshops. Urban Corps' program will provide environmental job training
and a high school education for youths who have dropped out of high school.
More information on each of the San Diego finalists is available at www.sempraenergyfoundation.org.
Other Environmental Champion winners for the San Diego region are:
American Lung Association in
California (San Diego)
Back Country Land Trust (Alpine)
Friends of Famosa Slough (San
Diego)
Grid Alternatives (San
Diego)
Groundwork San Diego at
Chollas Creek
I Love a Clean San Diego
International Community Foundation
(National City)
Mission Trails Regional Park Foundation
(San Diego)
Ocean Discovery
Institute (San Diego)
San Diego Coastkeeper
San Elijo Lagoon Conservancy
(Cardiff-by-the-Sea)
US Green Building Council (San Diego
Chapter)
Voice of San Diego
Environmental Champion winners outside the San Diego region are:
American Lung Association in
California (Fresno)
Amigos De Los Rios (Altadena)
Channel Islands
Restoration (Santa Barbara)
Earth Island Institute (Berkeley)
Friends of Ballona Wetlands
(Los Angeles)
Inside the Outdoors Foundation
(Costa Mesa)
Morro Coast Audubon Society
(Morro Bay)
National Audubon Society
Newport Bay Naturalists and
Friends (Newport Beach)
San Gabriel Valley Conservation and
Service Corps
Santa Ana Watershed Association of
RCDS
Sequoia Riverlands Trust
(Visalia)
Treepeople (Escondido)
The Sempra Energy Foundation is the 501(c)(3) private foundation of Sempra Energy, a Fortune 500 energy services
holding company with 2008 revenues of nearly $11 billion. The Sempra
Energy companies' 13,600 employees serve more than 29 million consumers
worldwide. For more information on the Sempra Energy Foundation, visit
www.sempraenergyfoundation.org.