MillionTreesNYC and JetBlue Airways Call on New Yorkers to Help Green Their City on April 9th in Forest Hills, Queens

NEW YORK, March 29, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The New York Restoration Project and its MillionTreesNYC initiative, in partnership with JetBlue Airways, New York's Hometown Airline, announced today its fourth annual "One Thing That's Green" tree planting event. Volunteers are invited to participate in the Saturday, April 9th event in Forest Hills, Queens from 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Trees will be planted in MacDonald Park, an area that was gravely affected by the September 2010 tornadoes that tore through New York City, uprooting more than 3,000 trees, damaging cars and peeling roofs from houses.

Created by JetBlue to promote environmental awareness, the One Thing That's Green program represents JetBlue's commitment to green education and volunteerism.  New Yorkers interested in planting trees on April 9th must register in advance at www.jetblue.com/trees.  Volunteers will be provided breakfast and lunch during the all-day event.

"New York Restoration Project is proud to partner with JetBlue to host this community volunteer day, which will plant 79 new trees in MacDonald Park," said Amy Freitag, NYRP Executive Director. "We are thankful for the hard work of volunteers and are excited to replace the fallen trees at MacDonald Park and restore some greenery to the neighborhood."

JetBlue Airways' One Thing That's Green is partnering with MillionTreesNYC - a public-private partnership between New York Restoration Project and the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation through which one million new trees will be planted and cared for across NYC's five boroughs by 2017.  The initiative has currently planted more than 430,000 trees.

Composed of more than five million trees and 168 species, New York City's urban forest is one of the most valuable environmental assets along the East Coast, and a critical component of the city's long-term health and sustainability. MillionTreesNYC works to promote the health, environmental and economic benefits trees provide by hosting tree giveaways, workshops and volunteer planting and stewardship events and launching public service announcements and related campaigns to educate New Yorker's on the benefits that come from planting trees. The program's site, www.milliontreesnyc.org, contains information on how New Yorkers can dig in by planting a tree, become a tree steward, or make a donation to the initiative.

JetBlue and NYRP are again partnering with local radio stations including 106.7 Lite FM, 103.5 KTU and Power 105.1, to further promote the greening of New York City. Trees were planted during the event in previous years in Jamaica, Queens and East Harlem. To support these efforts, more than 1070 crewmembers and community volunteers have graciously donated their time to plant or donate more than 3,600 trees spanning four New York City-area communities by the end of the spring.  

"JetBlue is New York's hometown airline," said Icema Gibbs, director corporate social responsibility, JetBlue Airways. "We are proud to be the only major commercial airline based in the area, and plan on keeping that unique quality well into the future. It is only fitting to be actively involved with partners such as the New York Restoration Project to ensure New York City remains the most vibrant city in the world."

JetBlue Airways also works with several other organizations as part of its mission to help promote health and wellness, education, and the environment. The company and crew members have constructed play spaces in multiple cities including Orlando, FL, Newark, NJ, Boston, MA, Long Beach, CA and Queens, NY. JetBlue Airways works with a variety of partner organizations including KaBOOM!, Do Something, and Carbon Funding. The company also supports research efforts for the American Cancer Society through its Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walks held in several JetBlue cities.

New York Restoration Project

New York Restoration Project (NYRP) is a non-profit organization dedicated to reclaiming and restoring New York City parks, community gardens and open space. In partnership with the City of New York, NYRP is also leading MillionTreesNYC – an initiative to plant one million new trees throughout New York City's five boroughs by 2017.

Since the organization's founding by Bette Midler in 1995, NYRP has achieved dramatic results by investing in the greening and beautification of underserved communities throughout New York City.  NYRP staff, AmeriCorps members and community volunteers have planted hundreds of thousands of trees, shrubs and flowers to support the restoration of our city's parks and community gardens; restored and helped maintain six New York City parks; and removed more than 2,000 tons of garbage from the City's open space.  In 1999, Midler and NYRP saved 114 community gardens from commercial development and established the New York Garden Trust to ensure NYRP's precious plots of land remain public gardens in perpetuity.  For more information on NYRP, visit www.nyrp.org.

About JetBlue Airways

New York-based JetBlue Airways has created a new airline category based on value, service and style. In 2010, the carrier ranked "Highest in Customer Satisfaction Among Low-Cost Carriers in North America" by J.D. Power and Associates, a customer satisfaction recognition received for the sixth year in a row. Known for its award-winning service and free TV as much as its low fares, JetBlue offers the most legroom in coach of any U.S. airline (based on average fleet-wide seat pitch) and super-spacious Even More Legroom seats. JetBlue is also America's first and only airline to offer its own Customer Bill of Rights, with meaningful and specific compensation for customers inconvenienced by service disruptions within JetBlue's control. Visit www.jetblue.com/promise for details. JetBlue serves 64 cities with more than 600 daily flights. Later this year JetBlue plans to introduce service to Anchorage, Alaska, and Martha's Vineyard, Mass. With JetBlue, all seats are assigned, all fares are one-way, and an overnight stay is never required. For information call +1 800 538 2583 from the U.S.A., TTY/TDD +1 800 336 5530, or visit www.jetblue.com.

SOURCE New York Restoration Project; JetBlue Airways