Vapur® and Orfalea Foundation Bring Hydration Back to School

Encourages hydration in schools through a donation of Refill Stations and Anti-Bottles WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif. (March 18, 2014)  – Vapur®, innovator of the flexible, reusable Anti-Bottle, is teaming up with the Orfalea Foundation in a sustainability effort to reduce waste and promote hydration in Santa Barbara County schools. As a longstanding member of 1% for the Planet, Vapur donates 1% of their annual sales to sustainability-oriented nonprofit organizations. This year, Vapur is donating water stations and reusable water bottles to the Orfalea Foundation, which in turn is providing them to the Community Environmental Council’s (CEC) Rethink the Drink program – an effort to reduce single-use plastics and encourage students to choose water over other, less healthy beverages. The donation of 12 Vapur Refill Stations (manufactured by Elkay - the world leader in stainless steel water stations) and 5,800 Vapur Anti-Bottles will go to four school districts in Santa Barbara County. The Refill Stations will be installed at schools selected by the Orfalea Foundation’s School Food Initiative, while the Anti-Bottles will be given to students or sold as a fundraiser for additional school projects. With an additional grant by the Orfalea Foundation, the CEC will oversee the installation of the stations and offer education to the participating schools. “As a California based company that cares about its community, we are proud to be working with Orfalea, the CEC and 1% for the Planet on this initiative to make drinking water readily available and easily accessible to Santa Barbara students,” said Vapur co-founder, Brent Reinke. “Through this effort, students are reducing waste, learning the importance of reusable products and, most importantly, staying hydrated and healthy.” Vapur will also provide each participating school with a kit explaining the benefits of hydration and the Vapur Refill Stations on campus. “This campaign has so many facets, from teaching children about the benefits of adequate hydration to lessons about the environmental effects of our food and beverage choices. Refill stations in public places make it easy to do the right thing,” said director of Orfalea’s School Food Initiative, Kathleen DeChadenedes. “We’re delighted to see two leaders in the 1% for the Planet California network partnering in such a meaningful way,” said Rebecca Calahan-Klein, Director of California Network Development at 1% for the Planet. “Not only are they reducing reliance on single-use plastics, they’re also helping Californians form great habits from an early age.” “CEC is proud of Rethink the Drink’s success and is excited to move forward with new partnerships. With over 500,000 uses on 31 refill stations since 2010, school communities are showing enthusiasm for this healthy, economical alternative to single-use plastic water bottles,” said Kathi King, Rethink the Drink manager, Community Environmental Council. To learn more about the Vapur Refill Stations, visit www.vapur/refill. For more information on the Orfalea Foundation, visit http://www.orfaleafoundation.org. About Vapur, Inc. Founded in 2009, California based Vapur, Inc. is on a mission to make hydration incomparably portable. As the leading designer, marketer and distributor of reusable, handheld, flexible hydration products, Vapur’s Anti-Bottles® have been adopted by athletes, celebrities, activists and families alike. The ultra-durable Anti-Bottle is proudly manufactured in the USA, BPA free, freezable and dishwasher safe. Privately held, with products available worldwide, Vapur contributes a portion of all sales to water-related and environmental causes. For more information, visit www.vapur.us and as always, “Live Flexible.” About Orfalea Foundation Founded in 2000, the Orfalea Foundation supports high-quality non-profit programs that promote healthy development and build skills for success in learning and in life. Across its range of focus areas, including education, school food reform, youth development, and community enrichment, the foundation works through collaborative initiatives and entrepreneurial partnerships to strengthen communities by empowering individuals. More information on the Orfalea Foundation can be found at www.orfaleafoundation.org. About 1% for the Planet 1% for the Planet is a global network of businesses that donate one percent of annual sales directly to approved environmental and sustainability nonprofit organizations. More than 1200 member companies in 48 countries give back to this big blue planet through over 3300 nonprofit partners. Started in 2002 by Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia, and Craig Mathews, owner of Blue Ribbon Flies, 1% for the Planet helps people buy better products and protect the planet we play on. To date, our network has given over $100 million back to blue. To learn more go to: http://www.onepercentfortheplanet.org. About the Community Environmental Council (CEC) CEC’s mission is to identify, advocate, raise awareness and develop effective programs to solve the most pressing environmental issues that affect the Santa Barbara region.  We currently focus all of our energy on building a community-based movement that transitions the region off of fossil fuels in one generation – Fossil Free by ’33.  Learn more at www.cecsb.org.

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