Chipotle Donates $100,000 to State Parks

- which won second place in in town earlier this year - will donate $100,000 to support the California State Parks Foundation’s (CSPF) "Answer the Call" fundraising campaign, following a $22 million budget cut to state parks, resulting in the scheduled closure of up to 70 California parks on July 1.

On Saturday, June 30, Chipotle urges guests to take advantage of California’s parks, the day before many of them close, by offering half-off Burritos by the Box orders of six or more from its California restaurants. As an added bonus, anyone that participates in Chipotle’s promotion by buying the promotional box lunches will receive a free day-pass for the admittance of one vehicle into a California state park of their choice.

In addition to the monetary contribution, Chipotle’s sponsorship also includes providing lunch and free meal cards for individuals who participate in CSPF’s Park Champions Program and volunteer their time in state parks to fill in the gaps left by funding cuts.

"CSPF is thrilled to announce Chipotle Mexican Grill as our first corporate donor to our 'Answer the Call' fundraising campaign, which was created to address the impending closure of dozens of state parks on July 1," said CSPF President Elizabeth Goldstein. "Chipotle's generous contribution of $100,000 and its ongoing support throughout the year through restaurant promotions, membership incentives and volunteer refreshment provisions will enable us to work to help keep parks open. We look forward to partnering with them in various ways that will benefit state parks into the future."

Chipotle is dedicated to supporting family farmers, cultivating more sustainable sources, and respecting and preserving green spaces. A cornerstone of Chipotle’s business model is a commitment to providing premium quality ingredients that are accessible and affordable.

“Our commitment to sourcing local produce, pasture-raised dairy and naturally-raised meat is similar to CSPF’s efforts to keep parks and open spaces accessible to all, and not attached to a hefty price tag,” said Chris Arnold, Chipotle’s communications director. “In the grand scheme of things, this donation is a small step in the right direction. We hope to inspire our customers to explore the wonders of California’s parks with burritos in tow and give back in their own way to CSPF.”

To participate in the Burritos by the Box promotion, Chipotle customers can pick up an order form from any California Chipotle, or log onto www.Chipotle.com and download a Burritos by the Box order form from their nearest location. The order form allows customers to identify how many chicken, steak, carnitas, barbacoa or vegetarian burritos they would like to order. The burritos come packed in a box with handles for easy transportation, along with sides of sour cream, chips, medium tomatillo-green chili salsa, and freshly made guacamole.

This offer is only available on Saturday, June 30, 2012 at California restaurants for orders of six burritos or more. Guests participating in the promotion will also be treated to a free California State Park day pass, redeemable for admission for one vehicle at any state park. For orders of 50 burritos or more, please allow at least 24 hours’ notice prior to pick-up. The maximum order accepted is 100 burritos.

For more information about California's state parks, visit calparks.org. 

For more information about Chipotle Mexican Grills, visit Chipotle.com. Foster City is home to a .

For a complete list of the parks slated for closure on July 1, see the list included with this article in the photos section.

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