Keep America Beautiful Kicks Off the 16th Annual Great American Cleanup to Transform Public Spaces into Beautiful Places in Communities Coast to Coast

STAMFORD, Conn., March 17, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Keep America Beautiful, the nation's leading nonprofit that brings people together to build and sustain vibrant communities, announced today the launch of the 16th annual Great American Cleanup.

The Great American Cleanup is the country's largest community improvement program that kicks off each spring and engages more than 4 million volunteers in more than 20,000 communities.

Together with the nonprofit's national network of community-based affiliates, organized volunteer events and experiential environment education programs are structured to beautify parks, trails and recreation areas, clean shorelines and waterways, reduce waste and increase recycling, remove litter and debris, plant trees and build community gardens, among other events to inspire generations of environmental stewards. 

"Through our actions and impact, we help create communities that are socially connected, environmentally healthy and economically sound," said Jennifer M. Jehn, president and CEO of Keep America Beautiful. "During the Great American Cleanup, our volunteers' work returns on average $175 million in measurable benefits annually across the communities we serve."

The national sponsors of the 2014 Great American Cleanup include Dow, The Glad Products Company, Lowe's, Phillips 66, Troy-Bilt® Lawn and Garden Equipment and Waste Management.

Here is a snapshot of Great American Cleanup events taking place in March:

• Fort Worth, Texas (March 22): Keep Fort Worth Beautiful is coordinating the annual Cowtown Great American Cleanup. More than 5,000 residents will participate in cleaning and greening sites ranging from the historic Fairmont neighborhood to Sundance Square and Trinity Trails. After the morning's community cleanup, volunteers will enjoy the annual Earth Party featuring live music, educational exhibits and local/regional sustainability initiatives.
• Phoenix, Ariz. (March 23): Students from the 2014 Clinton Global Initiative University (CGI U) meeting will gather in downtown Phoenix for the Clinton Foundation's ninth Day of Action in collaboration with PHX Renews, a partnership between the City of Phoenix and Keep Phoenix Beautiful that aims to transform previously vacant lots in the city into vibrant and sustainable public spaces. Volunteers will be tasked with creating art murals, harvesting produce, building community gardens, planting trees, milling grain, and building benches and picnic tables, among other projects.
• Sarasota, Fla. (March 22): Keep Sarasota County Beautiful is leading 1,000-plus volunteers to clean up one of 27 parks, beaches and natural areas across Sarasota County. 
• Tennessee (March): Keep Tennessee Beautiful partnered with Chad Pregracke, CNN's 2013 Hero of the Year, and Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam to inspire residents to clean up their communities across the state. On March 7, Governor Haslam proclaimed March as Keep Tennessee Beautiful month. 

The Great American Cleanup kicks off each March with events occurring from spring through fall. Keep America Beautiful and its community-based affiliates are hosting numerous events in recognition of Earth Day in April.

Later this month, the national nonprofit will announce additional organized volunteer events and experiential environment education programs for Earth Day that will take place across the country.

About Keep America Beautiful
Keep America Beautiful is the nation's leading nonprofit that brings people together to build and sustain vibrant communities. With a powerful national network of community-based affiliates and participating organizations, we work with millions of volunteers who take action in their communities. Through our programs and public-private partnerships, we engage individuals to take greater responsibility for improving their community's environment. For more information, visit kab.org, follow @kabtweet on Twitter and like us on facebook.com/keepamericabeautiful.

CONTACTS
Lynn Markley / Larry Kaufman
Tel: 203.659.3072 / 203.659.3014
Email: [email protected] / [email protected]
Web site: www.kab.org

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SOURCE Keep America Beautiful, Inc.