Though new to Arizona, Jessica Blakely is no stranger to inspiring communities. She is already helping expand City of Hope’s reach in Arizona, bringing the passion, expertise and partnership strategies she developed over more than a decade in Northern California.
Blakely is the new vice president of sales and merchandising for Bashas’ Family of Stores, which operates 100 grocery stores in Arizona and New Mexico. Bashas’ joined The Raley’s Companies in 2021, where Blakely spent 11 years.
The Raley’s Companies are a longtime member of the Northern California Food Industries Circle, which has raised more than $40 million for City of Hope since 1978 through events like Taste of Hope and Festival Ball.
Throughout her time at Raley’s, Blakely was deeply committed to City of Hope. “As soon as I started with Raley’s, I became familiar with City of Hope and realized how special it was,” she says.
“I had the privilege of visiting the National Medical Center in Southern California. It was impressive and inspiring,” she says. “Hearing from patients and families City of Hope has supported made me want to be part of it.”
At Raley’s, Blakely served on City of Hope’s Emerging Leaders Committee, which cultivates future industry leaders and explores new fundraising ideas. She also helped lead an annual bocce ball fundraiser.
Culture of Giving
Since joining The Raley’s Companies, Bashas’ has entered a new chapter of growth and expanded opportunities for community engagement and philanthropy — a chapter Blakely is eager to lead.
“City of Hope is very integrated in the food industry in California, and I want to help do the same in Arizona,” Blakely says.
Bashas’ is part of the Southwest Food Industries Circle (SWFIC). Through events such as Taste of Hope and the Spirit of Hope Golf Tournament, SWFIC has raised $15 million since 1992. It’s a perfect fit for Bashas’, which has a longstanding philanthropic history.
Blakely sees an opportunity to expand City of Hope’s visibility in Arizona by leveraging existing promotions such as a charity-of-the-month fundraising effort.
“When City of Hope is the charity of the month, customers will have the opportunity to donate at the point of sale,” she says. “They can donate $1, $5, $10 — whatever they want.”
Blakely sees strategic value in purpose-driven partnerships such as this. “People want to support companies that are making a difference.”
Lift and Shift
As she works to build awareness, Blakely is applying many of the successful strategies she helped lead in California, calling her approach “a lift and shift.”
One initiative is an annual vendor-sponsored City of Hope ad in Basha’s circulars. It showcases participating brands alongside City of Hope messaging and donation tools.
Additional efforts will also include highlighting City of Hope fundraising activities in customer email campaigns, in-store signage and promotional support for City of Hope events.
Blakely is also planning a company tour of City of Hope Cancer Center Phoenix and a visit to the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), City of Hope’s biomedical research arm.
Everybody Lean In
Blakely is excited to serve as captain for the company’s first-ever Walk for Hope team on November 7, 2026, in Phoenix. She sees collaboration and community engagement for events like Walk for Hope as critical. “For me, it’s simple: why wouldn’t you lean in? Every single dollar fuels research and care for people facing cancer.”
Looking ahead, Blakely hopes to encourage broader corporate participation.
She says, “It’s not just the food industry. How do we get more industries involved, more corporate sponsorships? Just starting with one company at a time, I think we can get there.”
Take Your Next Step
To learn more about how your business can collaborate with City of Hope, visit our Corporate Philanthropy page or email Cassie Fowler at [email protected].