Vintage Sacramento Raley’s sign takes violent fall. Loyal shopper catches it on video
Kaley’s?
Part of the iconic sign that once stood outside the historic Raley’s store on Freeport Boulevard came crashing to the ground as it was removed by crane this week.
Topping the marquee that has greeted shoppers with puns for decades, the big, red block of letters spelling out “Raley’s” detached from the crane midday Wednesday and came toppling down, partially hitting the side of a nearby work truck. No one was hurt, but the sign appeared to come within a few feet of hitting two workers perched in a cherry picker as it fell suddenly and violently.
Angel Moreno, who said he shops at the South Land Park Raley’s supermarket every day, captured the accident on video, which he provided to The Sacramento Bee on Thursday.
Moreno, whose wife works across the street, said he was taking video of the sign coming down because it represented the end of an era, with his family’s longtime grocery story closing.
The sign was being removed as the old store is set to be closed soon and replaced by a newer Raley’s a short walk away. The vintage-appearing sign was set to be moved from the old site to the new one. Raley’s representatives say that’s still the plan.
Raley’s spokeswoman Chelsea Minor in an emailed statement wrote, “Have no fear – the sign is okay!”
“During the removal of the Raley’s sign on Freeport Boulevard, a portion of the sign was slightly damaged,” Minor’s full statement continued. “The script Raley’s logo was impacted, but in partnership with Western Sign Company, we will rebuild and refurbish it using the original elements to maintain the integrity of the historic sign.
“The iconic ‘Rx’ had already been removed and was unaffected. We look forward to reinstalling our iconic sign at the new Raley’s location on Freeport Boulevard in March with a store opening in April!”
The accident got some viral attention on social media, including numerous local Reddit posts sharing video of the crash and photos from its aftermath. Several users noted that the tumble did most of its damage to the letter “R,” leaving the name “Raley’s” looking more like “Kaley’s.”
The new location is set to anchor a shopping center just down the street from the old location. City Councilman Steve Hansen, who represents South Land Park, during a groundbreaking ceremony last May called the project “the first big change” in revamping Freeport Boulevard.
This story was originally published February 6, 2020 at 2:28 PM.
