Raley Field, River Cats honored as sustainable business

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The Sacramento River Cats were recognized as an Honorable Mention designee by the Business Environmental Resource Center (BERC) and the Sacramento Area Sustainable Business Program.

"We've worked hard this year to ensure that we are doing our part to protect our environment," explained River Cats President Jeff Savage. "By working with Sacramento area businesses, we've been able to launch a number of initiatives at Raley Field. Perhaps the most noticeable immediately to our fans is our new in-park garden, the Raley Field Gardens, Grown by Green Acres. This all-natural garden features a water-efficient drip system and our harvests are donated to local organizations." Over 500 pounds of produce have been donated to Raley's and the Food For Families Program since the garden opened in March.

Raley Field Gardens Grown by Green Acres may be the most immediately evident change around the ballpark, but it is hardly the only one. The River Cats partnered with Spare the Air Sacramento this past season, promoting healthy and sustainable practices during hot summer days as well as launching the Break A Bat, Plant A Tree initiative. River Cats employees, fans, and partners will team up with the Sacramento Tree Foundation to plant trees in the Fall to off-set the bats broken by River Cats pitchers during the season. 

Smaller changes included replacing many trash bins around the park with Republic Services' three-stream diversion receptacles clearly marked for recycling, food waste, and landfill. Also, the River Cats' game day program - The Inside Pitch - was made using 100% recycled papers and vegetable-based inks. More information on all of the River Cats' sustainability partnerships and initiatives can be found online at rivercats.com/sustainability.

In addition to cultivating new relationships and developing more sustainable programs around the ballpark, the River Cats have made great strides to reduce water usage during the current drought. By removing some lawns around the park, reducing the watering of other areas of non-essential landscaping, as well as other cut-backs, water usage at Raley Field is down more than 25% since 2013. 

The Sustainable Business of the Year Awards Ceremony, which took place today at the Tsakopoulos Library Galleria, recognized over 15 Sacramento-region businesses. Nine organizations, including the River Cats, were recognized with Honorable Mentions.

***

The Sacramento River Cats are the Triple-A affiliate of the 2014 World Champion San Francisco Giants. The team plays at Raley Field in West Sacramento, consistently voted one of the top ballparks in America. River Cats Season Tickets, Mini-Plans, and Flex Plans can be purchased for the 2015 season by calling the River Cats Ticket Hotline at (916) 371-HITS (4487). For more information about the River Cats, visit www.rivercats.com. For information on other events at Raley Field, visit www.raleyfield.com.