City Market’s Community Rewards program gives back

By James Steindler Contributing Editor

In this valley there is no shortage of nonprofits serving in various capacities to better the community. From Ascendigo Autism Services to the Carbondale & Rural Fire Protection District to this very newspaper, there’s plenty of good work being done. To keep the wheels turning, these organizations largely rely on donations.

With so many nonprofits, it can be difficult to pick and choose which to support, especially on an already fixed budget. What would you say if there was a way to support a nonprofit you love without spending a dime of your own money? Magic? No, just a corporate supermarket playing a small part to give back to the community.

That’s right, City Market will donate to a local nonprofit of your choice every time you swipe your value card. You might be asking, how does this wizardry work? Well, we’re here to tell you.

First, in order to sign up for City Market’s Community Rewards program, you must have an online account and a value card. You can create an online account at www.citymarket.com and link your value card to it. Once your account is set up, scroll to the bottom of the page where it says “Community,” and beneath that click on “City Market Community Rewards.” Or simply navigate to www.citymarket.com/i/community/ community-rewards

Search for the nonprofit you wish to support, select it and voilà — you’re donating while also saving money by using your value card number. Generally, it’s just a matter of cents for each transaction, but that adds up and, taking it from someone who shops as little as this reporter, can reach the double digits in just three months. Twenty dollars in three months equates to more than $5 a month — KDNK Community Radio’s base membership level.

“Any transactions moving forward using the Shopper’s Card number associated with your digital account will be applied to the program, at no added cost to you,” the City Market website plainly states.

Nonprofits that have not opted into this program, can do so by visiting the same link above and filling out an online form.

Not all Kroger stores participate in the program, but the division that covers our area,

King Soopers-City Market, does. The division includes 152 stores, predominantly in Colorado, with two in Wyoming and one in Utah.

While nonprofits certainly could not get by on this income alone, it’s a great way to boost one’s support, and at no extra cost; free money, if you will.

The Sopris Sun will have a table set up in the lobby of the Carbondale City Market the mornings of Sunday, Aug. 13 and Sunday, Aug. 20, to show people how to sign up for the value card benefits, and, if they wish, how to become a SUNscriber. Perhaps, we’ll see you there.

By Raleigh Burleigh Sopris Sun Editor

Beginning First Friday, Aug. 4, Carbondale commuters will have a new way to get around. For months, anticipation has been building for WE-cycle’s expansion into one of the Valley’s most bicycle-friendly towns. Stations have already appeared at 17 locations and soon 80 wellmaintained bikes, each with a basket and pedal-powered light, will be docking between them. What’s more, half of the inventory will be electric (e-bikes).

WE-cycle is a nonprofit (founded locally in 2013) that operates bikeshare programs in Aspen, Snowmass Village, Basalt, El Jebel and Willits in partnership with the Roaring Fork Transportation Authority (RFTA). In November of 2022, Carbondale trustees approved a Memorandum of Understanding with RFTA pledging $210,688 toward the project, which covered 20% of the infrastructure costs and 100% of direct local operations. RFTA covered the remaining 80% of infrastructure costs at $492,294 as well as other costs including $17,977 for anticipated replacement and maintenance of equipment.

Anyone registered with WE-cycle can take a bicycle from any dock or up to 30 minutes per ride for free. Fees begin to incur beyond that time limit to encourage riders to keep their trips short. For pedal bikes, the fee is 50 cents per minute. For an e-bike, the fee is $5 per minute.

Unique to Carbondale, each station is adorned with art by Bailey Haines (www.pinestreetprints.com). Haines, an artist living in Satank, was commissioned by Carbondale Arts using unanticipated funds from Alpine Bank — $10,000 donated during the Carbondale-founded bank’s 50th anniversary celebration in January.

“When I read initially about the project, I was really excited that WE-cycle was coming to Carbondale,” Haines told The Sopris Sun. “I feel like the pace of life is so fast, and giving more people more opportunities to get out of their cars or out of the bus to travel at a slower pace, it allows us to absorb the beauty that is happening all around us.”

Inspired by the landscape, Haines composed rolling waves of red and orange to represent Red Hill, intersecting with softer blues that evoke our rivers. The stations also feature a small dandelion, Carbondale’s town flower, and Haines designed a decal for five special e-bikes featuring other local flora.

“I can’t say enough good things about Carbondale Arts and WEcycle,” she said. “I feel like they did an incredible job of managing the project from all sides.”

Every station is solar-powered and two in Carbondale have larger Skyhook solar panels to charge the e-bikes: one at the roundabout and one at Town Hall. “We’re grateful whenever a rider can dock an e-bike at a solar-powered charging station,” said Program Manager Annie Bricker.

When e-bikes lose their juice or bikes otherwise accumulate at one station, Bricker explained that it is the job of a “reblancer,” part of the field operations team, to redistribute them using an electric car or e-bike pulling a trailer. As evidenced, WEcycle is committed to keeping fossil fuel emissions as low as possible.