Contact: Keep Blackstone Valley
Beautiful
Contact Name: Emily Soergel
Phone: 401-724-2200
Email:
kbvb@tourblackstone.com
Website:
www.keepblackstonevalleybeautiful.com
Contact: Keep America Beautiful
Contact Names: Robert Wallace/Larry Kaufman
Phone: 203.323.8987, Ext. 811/817
Email: rwallace@kab.org/lkaufman@kab.org
Website: www.kab.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
BLACKSTONE VALLEY JOINS FORCES WITH KEEP AMERICA BEAUTIFUL IN
EXPANDING KEEP AMERICA BEAUTIFUL’S AFFILIATE NETWORK
(Pawtucket, RI) September 29,
2008 Keep America Beautiful, Inc. welcomes an important new
member to its expanding nationwide, community-based Network of
Affiliates, with the certification of Keep Blackstone Valley
Beautiful, Keep America Beautiful President Matt McKenna
announced today. Further, Keep Blackstone Valley Beautiful is
now the only Keep America Beautiful affiliate in Rhode Island.
“As part of our Keep America
Beautiful Network, the Blackstone Valley has pledged to act as a
catalyst for positive community change, with the goal of
improving the quality of life for every resident,” said McKenna.
“We welcome Keep Blackstone Valley Beautiful as an important
part of our national affiliate movement, which is keeping
America beautiful, one community at a time.”
Keep Blackstone Valley
Beautiful will join Keep America Beautiful’s nearly 1,000
community affiliates and participating organizations, including
22 statewide programs in the United States, and international
programs in Canada, South Africa and the Bahamas. This Keep
America Beautiful Network of Affiliates will mobilize an
estimated 3 million volunteers this year alone to take positive
action on environmental concerns. As a result, litter is being
reduced, solid waste is being managed responsibly, citizens are
adopting vacant lots, highways and other public spaces, trees
and flowers are replacing trash heaps and tire mounds, and
recycling and composting efforts are expanding.
“Clean, livable communities are
the foundation for strong local economies,” said McKenna. “Keep
America Beautiful affiliates use litter prevention as the
obvious place to begin the process of instilling pride and a
sense of personal responsibility in citizens for the appearance
and well-being of their communities. Our message is a clear and
powerful one, and today many of our affiliates are spearheading
the revitalization of entire regions and undertaking large-scale
renewal projects in partnership with concerned citizens,
businesses, government, civic and religious organizations. Keep
America Beautiful thanks the Blackstone Valley for taking on
this immense challenge.”
Keep Blackstone Valley
Beautiful is the environmental education program of the
Blackstone Valley Tourism Council. “As Rhode Island’s only Keep
America Beautiful Affiliate, Keep Blackstone Valley Beautiful
demonstrates the Blackstone River Valley’s commitment to
preserving the environment and enhancing the quality of life for
residents and visitors,” said Emily Soergel, Keep Blackstone
Valley Beautiful Coordinator and AmeriCorps*VISTA member.
Keep Blackstone Valley
Beautiful provides a variety of services for residents of Rhode
Island’s Blackstone Valley, including monthly electronics
collections, cleanups and community beautification as part of
Keep America Beautiful’s Annual Great American Cleanup, and
support to various government, non-government and community
organizations. Visit
www.keepblackstonevalleybeautiful.com for a full listing of
events or to volunteer.
Pawtucket Mayor Doyle,
Cumberland Mayor McKee and officials from Keep America Beautiful
and the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council attended the
certification ceremony, which took place on September 11, 2008
at the Blackstone River Theatre.
About Keep America Beautiful, Inc.
Keep America Beautiful, Inc., established in 1953, is the
nation's largest volunteer-based community action and education
organization. With a network of nearly 1,000 affiliate and
participating organizations, Keep America Beautiful forms
public-private partnerships and programs that engage individuals
to take greater responsibility for improving their community
environments. For additional information, visit
www.kab.org.
About Keep Blackstone Valley
Beautiful
Keep Blackstone Valley
Beautiful serves as the environmental education and awareness
program of the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council. We are
focusing on preventing litter, reducing waste and beautifying
our communities by working with government, business and civic
groups in Burrillville, Central Falls, Cumberland, Glocester,
Lincoln, North Smithfield, Pawtucket, Smithfield and Woonsocket.
We work with these cities and towns to understand their specific
needs and to create programs that will enhance their landscapes.
Emily Soergel, the program coordinator, is sponsored by
AmeriCorps*VISTA.
About the Blackstone Valley
Tourism Council
Established in 1985, the
agency’s mission is to create positive change with regard to
community values by developing and promoting coordinated,
responsible and sustainable tourism in Rhode Island’s Blackstone
Valley communities. To plan and collaborate with intrastate,
state, regional, national and international organizations to
sustain and enhance the character of our destination, and to
develop the public and private natural, historic, cultural,
ethnic, industrial, recreational, educational, special events,
artistic and commercial resources in Pawtucket, Central Falls,
Cumberland, Lincoln, Woonsocket, Smithfield, North Smithfield,
Burrillville and Glocester.
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