Arbor Day Foundation and BJ’s Charitable Foundation to Plant a Half Million Trees by End of Spring

LINCOLN, Neb., April 20, 2016 /3BL Media/ — The Arbor Day Foundation is planting a half million trees in our nation’s forests by the end of spring of 2016 thanks to the continued support of BJ’s Wholesale Club and BJ’s Charitable Foundation. In 2013, BJ’s committed one million dollars to plant more than one million trees in forests of need and communities devastated by natural disasters by the year 2020.

As of today, BJ’s has planted 428,565 trees through the Arbor Day Foundation. Additionally, more than 70,000 trees have been distributed in New Jersey as part of the New Jersey Community Tree Recovery campaign—a tree recovery campaign to rebuild New Jersey communities affected by 2012 Superstorm Sandy. The campaign provides trees to homeowners and communities who lost their tree canopy in the wake of the storm.

“Programs such as Replanting Our Nation’s Forests and the Community Tree Recovery campaign are about bringing life back to areas struck by natural disasters,” said Dan Lambe, president of the Arbor Day Foundation. “These trees are part of the people and land of the affected areas. We thank BJ’s for their generous support.”

Over the past three years, BJ’s has planted trees in numerous forests including Blackwater River State Forest in Florida, Chattahoochee National Forest in Georgia, and Bladen Lakes State Forest in North Carolina. 

“Every day, we invest in sustainable practices that respect environmental resources to support the communities BJ’s serves,” said Jessica Newman, assistant vice president of community affairs and communications for BJ’s Wholesale Club and executive director of BJ’s Charitable Foundation. “Partnering with the Arbor Day Foundation in the Community Tree Recovery program is one way we’re helping to protect our nation’s forests and ensure that healthy trees are available for families to enjoy for generations to come.”

In addition, BJ’s is launching its second annual #ItsMyTree photo challenge that invites people to submit a photo of their favorite tree. Photo Challenge details include:

• The promotion begins on Wednesday, April 20, 2016.
• To enter, post a photo of a favorite tree on BJ’s Facebook page and use the hashtag #ItsMyTree.
• Three winners will be selected on or before May 2, 2016.
• Each winner will receive a Canon EOS Rebel T6i DSLR Camera with P18-55mm lens, 55-260mm lens, battery, battery charger, 32GB SD, gadget bag and tutorial DVD software, valued at $899.99.
• For official rules, visit BJ’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/bjswholesaleclub.

To learn more about planting and caring for trees, visit https://www.arborday.org. 

About BJ’s Charitable Foundation
BJ’s Charitable Foundation was established with the mission to enrich every community BJ’s Wholesale Clubs serve. The Foundation supports nonprofit organizations that primarily benefit the underprivileged in the areas of hunger prevention and education. For more information about BJ’s Charitable Foundation, please visit, www.bjs.com/charity.

About BJ’s Wholesale Club
Headquartered in Westborough, Massachusetts, BJ's is a leading operator of membership warehouse clubs in the Eastern United States. The company currently operates 213 clubs and 128 BJ’s Gas® locations 15 states.  

BJ’s provides great value in a one-stop shopping destination filled with top-quality, leading brands including its exclusive Wellsley Farms and Berkley Jensen brands along with USDA Choice meats, premium produce and delicious organics in many supermarket sizes.. BJ’s is also the only membership club to accept all manufacturers' coupons and, for greater convenience, offers the most payment options.

Giving back has always been at the very core of BJ’s culture. Through local clubs, volunteerism, BJ’s Feeding Communities, Adopt-A-School Program, BJ’s Charitable Foundation, and many more efforts, the company supports and enhances programs that provide vital services within each community it serves.  To learn more, visit www.bjs.com/community.

To check out all the MORE BJ’s has to offer, visit www.BJs.com and for exclusive content find us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.

About the Arbor Day Foundation
Founded in 1972, the Arbor Day Foundation (www.arborday.org) has grown to become the largest nonprofit membership organization dedicated to planting trees, with more than one million members, supporters, and valued partners. During the last 44 years, more than 250 million Arbor Day Foundation trees have been planted in neighborhoods, communities, cities and forests throughout the world.