Thank you for your support of the Teacher of the Year Dinner. The event brought people together to honor a Teacher of the Year from the Tustin Unified School District. Your contribution made for a memorable night.  Tustin Public Schools Foundation President Gerry Aust said during the ceremony”Teachers are the fabric that has held our nation together over the ages, and they teach from the heart.” We appreciate your support and interest in honoring the teachers that make such a difference for the students they teach. Thank you once again for your  involvement in the community.

Warmest Regards…Tracie Pham Chairperson Teacher of the Year Diinner

Whale Tails Tortilla Chips

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Kraszewski:

Each year, our office has the opportunity to recognize small businesses in the 75th district that have made outstanding contributions in the communities they serve. These are businesses that, time after time, selflessly give back to their community through volunteerism, providing employment, or supporting activities throughout the community.

Your business, Whale Tails Tortilla Chips, was nominated by one or more of your fellow community members. We are honored to recognize you as a 2012 Outstanding Business for the 75th District. We thank and honor your contributions to our communities.

Our communities host a wide range of businesses, in many industries. Whether a business has three employees or 300 employees, its contributions are invaluable. Whale Tails Tortilla Chips contributions are invaluable. Whale Tails Tortilla Chips represents the pride that comes from job creation and economic growth, while concurrently bringing a human element and personal contribution to our community.

As we work to create a business friendly environment in our State, I look forward to partnering with you and your husband and also watching your company’s future growth and prosperity.

With Gratitude,

Nathan Fletcher Assemblyman 75th District State of California

A sustainable seafood celebration was held Thursday April 26 at Sea World’s Turtle Reef and Shark Encounter Exhibit.  It was a night to reflect on  accomplishments, look forward, and come to together to celebrate San Diego’s commitment to Ocean Stewardship.

Ms Lori Saldana and Mr Toni Atkins were the Honorary Chairpersons for the event. Sustainable seafood tasting were prepared by local chefs. Local companies Whale Tails Tortilla Chips, Karl Strauss Beers, and Vesper Vineyards supplied in kind product for the event.  Air Pacific and Lalati Resort and Spa provided a trip to Fiji as a raffle item after the presentation of the Annual Dr Roger Revelle Award.

Whale Tails Tortilla Chips at Nordstom's Flagship Store in Seattle Washington

Nordstrom is looking to increase their Fair Trade and also Direct Trade coffee and heightened their focus on sustainable food options with buying local as a priority. They expanding their organic offerings by looking farther into their menu – for example in addition to Whale Tails Tortilla Chips, Nordstrom will soon be able to offer all organic pizza dough.

From prep cooks to chefs, the talented people working in Nordstrom’s restaurant kitchens or in the coffee bars are committed to offering memorable meals and dining experiences that make a positive impact on our customers and on our planet.

Whale Tails Tortilla Chips takes great pride in being part of the fresh, delicious and healthy options that Nordstrom customers enjoy. And after customers leave a Nordstrom restaurant, the staff works to manage the waste that remains from their food-service operations in the most environmentally responsible manner possible.

Locally grown and deliciously fresh ..”We specify organic whenever possible,” said Vincent Rossetti, Nordstrom’s national director of restaurants. “Because we believe local farms are often the best source for fresh, healthy ingredients, we source our foods as close to home as possible. We work with local vendors throughout the country who use sustainable business practices,” said Vincent.

Sustainable Packaging “Team Nordstrom” is also working hard to offer customers environmentally responsible packaging options, the paper cups are recyclable and 100 percent compostable. In addition, the “hot bands” are made of 100 percent recycled materials. Nordstrom restaurants and coffee bars transitioned to recyclable napkins that are dye-free and bleach-free. Looking ahead, Nordstrom will soon be introducing straws and containers made from recyclable and compostable materials.

Nordstrom and Whale Tails Tortilla Chips were brought together through the Buyers Best Friend team in San Francisco, California. The BBF team believes that you should “Create Joy”.  BBF is designed around reducing the paperwork of sales so people can focus on the creative arts of solving problems and pioneering new products.

                             November 25 / 26 2011 Oahu

"Aloha Ric n Terry we were able to Fill up ALL 250 goody bags with your Whale Tails Tortilla Chips! Thank u! Yummy! "...Rell Sunn Educational Fund

That’s 36 years of fun and aloha spirit for the surfing kids of Hawaii, 36 years of enlightenment.  Virtually every top Hawaiian-raised surfer(Sunny Garcia, Johnny Boy,Keoni Watson.. etc) have had the pleasure of surfing Rell’s contests at Makaha. The  Contest is held every year on the beaches of Makaha, Oahu. to educate the public, especially children, about sportsmanship and the environment and to combat juvenile delinquency.

Rell’s middle name, *Ka-polioka’ehukai,* means Heart of the Sea.

All children 12 years old and under were welcomed to participate in the contest. Hundreds of children statewide visit Makaha each year to attend and participate in the surf contest. Events included body board, long board, and short board, and each event was broken into age and gender categories. Each contestant receives a t-shirt with contest advertising on it, assorted surf necessities, magazines, literature for sunscreen info, literature about the dangers of the sun, environmental awareness literature, info on early cancer screening, and organic healthy snacks from Whale Tails. Each child is encouraged to exhibit sportsmanship by cheering for every competitor and helping retrieve lost surfboards.  Contestant’s families volunteered and helped run the event.

Ocean of thanks to Jan and Anthony Carreira for once again inviting Whale Tails Tortilla Chips to be a part of this winter’s 36 th Annual Rell Sunn Menehuene Contest.

San Diego, CA, CA, United States
November 20th, 2011

The TEDxYouth@SanDiego team honored students from twenty San Diego County high schools to participate in this global event. It was a transformative day for all of the attendees.

The theme of TEDxYouth@SanDiego was “The World in Our Grasp,” and it was all about inspiring one to see a problem, to take responsibility and to do something now. Sunday’s event  brought together a community of 400 students from all over San Diego County to challenge them, inspire them, and motivate them to be agents of change.

This was NOT just a conference or an inspirational day of talks. Student participants were asked to make commitments to take action within their community. TEDxYouth is solution-oriented. The attendees were given specific ways in which they can become involved no matter what their resources and where they are located.

Speakers at Sunday’s event included: Tracy Lee Stum, an internationally recognized American street painter who specializes in spectacular, interactive 3D chalk art street paintings, Richard Dreyfuss, Actor and spokesperson on the issue of media informing policy, legislation, and public opinion, Jason Russell, founder of the media-driven nonprofit Invisible Children, Inc.,  David Schenone, Innovation Director for Global Footwear for NIKE, Inc.,Mark Hixon, marine biologist at Oregon State University, Adora Svita, writer of over 300 short-stories, a poet and a humanitarian, Jason O’Neill, 15-year old entrepreneur who founded Pencil Bugs at age nine. He is also the author of Bitten by the Business Bug: Common Sense Tips for Business and Life from a Teen Entrepreneur at age fourteen, Patrick Ivison, motivational speaker and adaptive surfer. He is the first disabled member of the Lost Surf Team and is a member of his high school surf team. He has appeared on the Today Show, E! Entertainment, Transworld Surf Magazine, MTV, Fuel TV, the Oprah Winfrey Network and countless other publications and news outlets around the world. In 2009 he traveled with two other disabled athletes to Costa Rica to film a feature length documentary on adaptive surfing called “Charlie Don’t Surf”, Alec Loorz, founder of Kids vs Global Warming, Jake Shimabukuro, master of the ukulele. Lee Coulter,singer/songwriter from Australia, and  Nina Church
co-founder of Nika Water.

Lunch was provided by Jim (Jimbo) Someck who has been in the natural foods industry since 1973. In 1984 he opened up his first Jimbo’s…Naturally! store. Since then he has opened up four more Jimbo’s…Naturally! stores throughout north county San Diego.

Heather and Ric at the Hollywood Premier of Alcon Entertainment / Warner Brothers Movie Dolphin Tale

Ric Kraszewski co founder and VP Sales of Whale Tails Tortilla Chips  attended the event with his wife, Terry, and daughter, Heather.  Mr Kraszewski said ” I was thrilled to receive the invitation from Ms Wagner at Warner Brothers and did not hesitate to immediately send a truckload of our organic tortilla chips shaped like a whale’s tail featuring the artwork of world renowned marine artist Wyland as a contribution to the event. Having played just a small role in raising funds and awareness for  “Winter’s” story since 2005 it was thrilling to see the little dolphin’s story translated into a heart warming 3D movie by screenwriters  Karen Janszen and Noam Dromi.”

Alcon Entertainment with distribution by Warner Brothers had Charles Martin Smith of American Graffiti fame direct “Dolphin Tale” that stars Harry Connick, Jr.  Ashley Judd, Austin Stowell, Nathan Gamble,  Cozi Zuehlsdorff ,Kris Kristofferson, and Academy award winner Morgan Freeman.

Terry Kraszewski, CEO and Co Founder of Whale Tails Chips, said to have the premier take place on the same day as California’s Annual Coastal Cleanup Day was perfect timing by Warner Brothers. “We were able to participate in our annual beach cleanup before heading to Hollywood to walk the Red Carpet. ” Terry said the the movie “Dolphin Tale” sends an inspirational message about our connections with our ocean neighbors. “Families are going to love this movie.” she added.  David Yates, CEO of Clearwater Aquarium and an executive producer on the movie also in attendance at the premier, echoed Terry’s sentiment “The movie is having a tremendous impact, we’re already feeling it .. and the film hasn’t opened yet.” The film will open nation wide on Friday September 23.

Steve McCulloch HBOI, Ric Whale Tails, and Cameron

Also in attendance was Steve McCulloch, Program Manager of Marine Mammal Research at Harbor Branch Oceanographic. Steve was part of the “Winter” rescue team and recalled the chilly December rescue. “The line was heavily entangled around the base of “Winter’s” tail fluke and the blood flow had been cut off. Fortunately for us Clearwater Marine Aquarium on Florida’s West Coast had a large above ground pool was perfect for “Winter” and they accepted the injured dolphin.”  At Saturday’s event Hanger prosthetists Dan Strzempka and Kevin Carroll, the developers of Winter’s prosthetic tail were also among the attendees along with patients John Siciliano, Katy Sullivan and Cameron Clapp  and  Hanger clinicians Kevin Carroll and Michael Carroll. Thanks to the innovative prosthetic work of Hanger Prosthetics and Orthotics along with the rescue and rehabilitative care of the Clearwater Marine Aquarium Winter’s story of survival will become an inspiration to people all over the world.

Steve of Harbor Branch Oceanographic and the folks at Clearwater Aquarium couldn’t have known at the time that they were creating a movie star. But thanks to the folks at Warner Brothers and Alcon Entertainment, audiences nationwide will soon know the remarkable story of “Winter”. She is the star of “Dolphin Tale” and the founders of Whale Tails Tortilla Chips know the film is going to create a new awareness about threats facing marine mammals and what we can do to lessen those threats. The film is also a reminder that if we are willing to “chip in”, anything is possible, and our world just might have more happy endings.

About Clearwater Aquarium: The Clearwater Aquarium in Clearwater Florida specializes in marine life rehabilitation. www.seewinter.com/

About HARBOR BRANCH Oceanographic Institution, Inc. HBOI is one of the world’s leading nonprofit oceanographic research organizations dedicated to exploration of the earth’s oceans, estuaries and coastal regions for the benefit of mankind. www.fau.edu/hboi/

Whale Tails Tortilla Chips is America’s fastest growing organic,non gmo, gluten free tortilla chip company on a mission to educate that food choices effect not only our personal health but also that of our marine environment. Whale Tails Tortilla Chips recent partnership with the Wyland Foundation will help to provide the tools children need to be good stewards of our oceans. Available at Whole Foods Markets and other natural food stores in California.

By Dave Schwab
Staff Writer La Jolla Light

A three-day trip to see the gray whale nursery at Scammon’s Lagoon was an “otherworldly” experience, said a tour group of 30 La Jollans, which included renowned Scripps oceanographers Walter Munk and Gustaf Olof Svante Arrhenius, as well as former University of California President and UCSD Chancellor Robert Dynes and his wife Ann Parode Dynes.

“Magical, life-changing,” was how Nigella Hillgarth, executive director of Birch Aquarium at Scripps, described the March encounter. “To get close to a large mammal and their babies, see their eyes — I think everybody should try and get down to the lagoon and check it out.”

Munk said, “If you didn’t have any religion when you went down, you certainly did when you came home.”

The birthing grounds of the migrating gray whale is located near the town of Guerrero Negro, in an extensive Baja lagoon averaging 7 miles wide more than 27 miles inland. About 350 miles south of San Diego, the lagoon was named for whaling Capt. Charles M. Scammon who “discovered” it in 1857, though it was known earlier to Spanish and Mexican explorers.

Scammon at first decided to exterminate the whales before realizing his mistake, then dedicated his life to saving them, according to Wikipedia.

The gray whales congregate in this lagoon during winter to mate, give birth and let their calves grow enough to withstand the long north migration. Up to 2,000 whales and their calves can be found in the lagoon during the peak of the season.

Terry Kraszewski, CEO of Whale Tails Tortilla Chips who went on the trip, said, “I just felt so connected to them (whales) and the ocean.”

The experience was especially poignant for La Jolla community activist Mary Coakley, who was in the midst of a project to create a life-sized bronze sculpture of J.J., the Orphaned Baby Gray Whale rescued by Sea World which now rests in Kellogg Park playground in La Jolla Shores.

“I don’t even know how to describe it,” said Coakley. “This gave J.J. such a real dimension. I don’t want to say it was a once-in-a-lifetime trip because I want to go back next year.”

Kraszewski, an avowed whale lover, said the opportunity to connect with such awe-inspiring creatures was precious.

“The trust you saw, they kept coming to us time and again to let us touch them and to look in their eyes … They’re so powerful and so big, the size of a city bus … All we could do was grin and cry and hug afterward.”

WATCH VIDEO OF BAJA ADVENTURE HERE