PRESS RELEASE

Contact: Robin Blut or Trina Finley
Keep Houston Beautiful
713-839-8855
713-805-1201 - Robin's cell
713-805-4847 - Trina's cell
rblut@houstonbeautiful.org
tfinley@houstonbeautiful.org

LET'S MAKE HOUSTON SHINE!

HOUSTON (March 20, 2003) . . . Please join us, rain or shine, on Saturday, March 29, 2003 for Keep Houston Beautiful Day, the kickoff of Houston's participation in the national Great American Cleanup™ campaign which runs consecutively for eight weeks. This event has traditionally been fast paced, a little dirty and lots of fun. We expect to continue the tradition this year.

"In this adverse time in our country, Keep Houston Beautiful Day is a wonderful opportunity to help keep community spirits high and to allow neighbors and neighborhoods to unite together," said Bill Linthicum, Chair of Keep Houston Beautiful. "We urge everyone to join in the effort to revitalize our city."

Presenting Sponsors for Keep Houston Beautiful Day include Republic Waste Services, City of Houston and Houston Chronicle. Supporters include: Houston Coca-Cola Bottling, Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Metropolitan Transit Authority, Waste Management, BFI Waste Services of Texas, Mayor Lee P. Brown and the Houston City Council, City of Houston Parks & Recreation Department, City of Houston Solid Waste Management Department and Neighborhood Protection Division.

Keep Houston Beautiful is a local non-profit organization that reaches out to all segments of the Houston community to educate and empower individuals to take greater responsibility for beautifying and enhancing Houston's environment.

Below are the kick-off sites for March 29:

CENTRAL Location:

• "Little Saigon" in Downtown Houston - District I
  Kick-off location: Phouc Loc Tho Retail Center - 3000 Travis @ Anita
  Activity: De-litter; mow right-of-ways; paint over graffiti; clean bus shelters; rake leaves
  ** Press Conference at this site **
  Contacts: Sandra Strachan in At Large Council Member Quan's Office and Keep Houston Beautiful

Locations in NORTH Houston:

• Hadden Park - District A
  Kick-off location: Hadden Park - 9900 Long Point @ Witte
  Activity: Park cleanup/revitalization = planting flowers, mulching beds, de-littering grounds
  Contact Organization: Spring Branch Revitalization Assoc.
  
  
• Kashmere Gardens - District B
  Kick-off location: Kashmere Baptist Church - 4302 Cavalcade; back of parking lot entrance @ Los Angeles St.
  Activity: Mowing lots = preparing land for city park
  Contact Organization: N. Kashmere Gardens Super Neighborhood
  
  
• Quadrant I of Super Neighborhood #47 - District B
  Kick-off location: Love United Methodist Church - 7210 Langley Rd.
  Activity: Cleaning ditches and right-of-ways = de-littering, removal of heavy debris
  Contact Organization: E. Little York/Homestead Super Neighborhood #47
  
  
• Lindale Park Civic Club - District H
  Kick-off location: Community Center Building - 218 Joyce St.
  Activity: Painting outside of Community Center building located at 218 Joyce; planting flowers, weeding and trimming garden
  Contact Organization: Northside Village Super Neighborhood #51

Locations in SOUTH Houston:

• S. Braeswood/ S. Gessner/Braeburn Valley- District C
  Kick-off location: 8533 Twin Hills
  Activity: De-litter; remove heavy debris from one street
  Contact Organization: New Braeswood Revitalization Association and Greater Fondren Southwest Super Neighborhood #36
  
  
• Sunnyside Place - District D
  Kick-off location: Mt. Vernon Baptist Church - 3816 Stassen
  Activity: Neighborhood cleanup = de-littering and mowing 1-2 lots
  Contact Organization: Sunnyside Civic Club
  
  
• Huntington Village in Alief - District F
  Kick-off location: Mata Intermediate School parking lot - 9225 S. Dairy Ashford St.
  Activity: Neighborhood cleanup = de-littering
  Contact Organization: Alief Super Neighborhood
  
  
• Jackson Middle School - District I
  Kick-off location: Jackson Middle School - 5100 Polk
  Activity: De-litter school grounds and streets that surrounds the school; use Lysol products to disinfect public areas inside school
  Contact Organization: Best Friends Houston-H.I.S.D.

Other opportunities for you to participate in the Great American Cleanup™ campaign:

• Participate in the Don't Mess With Texas Trash-Off on Saturday, April 5.
  
• Volunteer to join ConocoPhillips, Halliburton and Union Pacific Railroad in beautifying the Houston's Fifth Ward Area on Saturday, April 26 for the annual "Keep Five Alive" coalition.
  
• Your group can clean city streets, a park or remove graffiti in any area on any day you choose during the 8-week cleanup campaign. We will provide FREE TRASHBAGS for you cleanup activity.
  
• Pledge to pick up litter in 2003: Bend over - it's good exercise.

"As Keep America Beautiful celebrates 50 years of improving communities nationwide in 2003, we're thrilled that citizens have responded to the Great American Cleanup with this wellspring of volunteerism and commitment," said G. Raymond Empson, President of Keep America Beautiful. "In the true spirit of leadership and action, our volunteers are motivating and educating others on the importance of individual responsibility, calling on each of us to be stewards of the environment. The 2003 Great American Cleanup will be a highlight of Keep America Beautiful's 50th anniversary, as we build even more support for communities through volunteer participation," Empson continued.

According to a recent poll conducted for Keep America Beautiful, two-thirds of those surveyed said they would be willing to volunteer a few hours a month on community improvement activities. Great American Cleanup™ activities provide the perfect volunteer opportunity.

National support for Keep America Beautiful's Great American Cleanup™ is expanding. This year's sponsors include: Pepsi-Cola Company, GAIN® Laundry Detergent, Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company, LYSOL® Brand Products, Film-Gard® Plastic Sheeting, Waste Management, Inc., Ruffies® Trash Bags, Firestone Tire & Service Centers & ExpertTire & Tires Plus, Yard-Man by MTD and the Home Depot®; Retail Sponsors: Hy-Vee, Inc. and the Kroger Co.; Educational Partners: American Online and Rubber Manufacturers Association.

Keep America Beautiful, Inc. is a national, nonprofit public education organization whose goal is to form community partnerships dedicated to empowering individuals to take greater responsibility for enhancing their community environments.