Park Trips Sponsored

Dudley-Anderson-Yutzy, the public relations firm, calls it a “blending of altruism and realism.” In more earthly terms, it is also known as Pop in the Park--a program sponsored by Pacific Bell and General Foods to boost attendance at California’s parks.

Each company has contributed $200,000 for guidebooks describing the state’s 260 parks, radio contests and in-school nature programs for about 16% of the state’s fourth-, fifth- and sixth-graders. The firms last week sponsored field trips for 1,600 underprivileged youngsters from Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Diego and San Francisco.

The program also allows for a few words from the sponsors in the form of cents-off coupons for such cereals as Fruity Pebbles, Cocoa Pebbles and Alpha-Bits, mailed to 4.5 million homes. Box tops from those cereals can be used to gain reduced admission to state parks. Pacific Bell established seven special park information numbers, but the calls aren’t free.

Barbara Rathbun, a spokeswoman for the state park system, said it’s too soon to tell whether the program, which ends Nov. 30, has boosted park attendence. “Our main goal was to provide experiences for the children,” said Rathbun, who noted that many of the underprivileged youngsters “never visited a park before.” She declared the trips “an absolute success.”

“We came up with things they could do naturally,” said Marijane Levee, an account executive. That explains the special park phone numbers. As for the choice of cereals, she said, “We figured if we could reach the children, it would be a good way of reaching everyone.”