Paying It Forward

Increased Environmental Awareness from Salesforce.com Employees Benefits Trips for Kids and Underserved Youth in San Francisco

SAN RAFAEL, CA - After months of riding their bikes to work as part of an employee-led initiative to help reduce their carbon footprint, salesforce.com employees raised $10,000 and chose Trips for Kids (TFK) as their charity of choice.

On July 11, 2008, a group of dedicated salesforce.com employees joined young people from Kung Fu Grocery - an inner-city, low income martial arts school, TFK volunteers, staff and Board members for a ride through the Tennessee Valley area of the Golden Gate Recreation Area to present the generous check. The group absorbed the fanfare and views, as well as showed their appreciation for TFK being selected as the program's charity beneficiary.

"At a time when fuel costs are soaring, biking to work is an environmentally friendly, cost effective and health promoting activity," said Marilyn Price, founding director of TFK. "Trips for Kids is thrilled to be the chosen recipient. This money will be used to take underserved youth on mountain bikes rides."

Salesforce.com, one of the Bay Area's leading high-tech firms specializing in Software-as-a-Service, found a way to benefit youth, boost employee fitness and make an environmental impact. Forty employees worldwide participated in the community initiative. Utilizing salesforce.com technology to log the miles employees rode, the Salesforce.com Foundation contributed one dollar for each mile. Salesforce.com has been a long-time supporter of Trips for Kids.

"I joined salesforce.com not just because of the company and its products, but also because of the Salesforce.com Foundation's relationship with the community," said Perry David Tennyson, a salesforce.com employee. "Growing up in San Francisco and being a cyclist made this the perfect opportunity for me to participate in. That salesforce.com gave one dollar to a non profit for every mile I rode to work each day made me extremely proud."

Trips for Kids is a 20-year-old national non-profit based in San Rafael, California. Its programs give underserved youth a chance to experience the joy and challenge of mountain biking, while learning valuable life skills and an appreciation for the outdoors. There are currently 64 Trips for Kids chapters across the United Stated and Canada.

For more information on Trips for Kids, please visit www.tripsforkids.org or call founding Director Marilyn Price at (415) 458-2986.