FROM BIKERS TO LATTER DAY SAINTS, ECLECTIC GROUP EFFORT UNDERWAY TO REVITALIZE HOUSTON'S HISTORIC FIFTH WARD

Keep Houston Beautiful and Conoco Endeavor to Keep 5 Alive for it's 11th Year

HOUSTON (April 8, 2002) - Motorcycle Clubs working with Latter Day Saints, police officers working with county probationers; it must be that time of year again.

The time of year when different types of organizations, civic and not, come together with one common goal in mind, improve the quality of life for Fifth Ward residents by beautifying the community. Some choose to do this by painting houses, others by mowing vacant lots, still others participate by painting over graffiti. Whatever the method, the undertakings of these organizations and Fifth Ward residents alike, are both immense and effective.

This year's Keep 5 Alive cleanup should be the biggest yet. More than 1,200 volunteers representing over 45 different community groups, neighborhood residents, and Conoco employees will gather in Fifth Ward's beautiful Finnigan Park (4900 Providence) at 8AM on Saturday, April 20. This event will kick off a year-long revitalization campaign aimed at restoring Houston's Fifth Ward to the pinnacle it once was.

Members of the Keep 5 Alive Planning Committee are branching out in 2002 to help landscape Kelly Courts Recreation Center, clean Ingraham Gully, refurbish Evergreen Cemetery, and paint several homes in Frenchtown.

Members of motorcycle clubs such as United Bikers, Street Lords, and The Chosen Few are contributing for their second year in a row. Their dedication and hard work is a key component to the success of this event. This year, the bikers have taken on the task of repairing and painting a house in Frenchtown.

Renegade, Secretary of The Chosen Few Motorcycle Club, says "You don't have to be involved in a church or a non-profit organization to give back to the community. We thought it would be a good idea to participate in this event because it's something that people from all walks of life can get behind and collaborate on."

Adding to the melting pot of volunteers are over 600 Latter Day Saints. Their selfless commitment to community revitalization has provided us the opportunity to increase the number of projects we can undertake this year. Not only will they be contributing through landscaping and picking up trash, but also by painting three more houses in Frenchtown.

"There is no better feeling than the one you get after you've done a hard days work, you're tired and sweaty, and you look up and see a smile on the face of the homeowner whose life you made a little better" says Terrell Hunt with the Latter Day Saints Church.

Mayor Lee. P. Brown, Representative Harold Dutton, as well as Council Members Gabriel Vasquez and Carol Mims Galloway will be on hand to kick off the event. The City of Houston's departments along with the mayor's office have afforded this project phenomenal support.

In fact, the City of Houston Neighborhood Protection Division of Public Works and Engineering oversaw the cutting and mowing of 300 unkempt lots overgrown with weeds last year. The City of Houston Department of Solid Waste Management and Republic Waste Services will also be on hand again this year.

"The energy fueling this effort since its inception has come from our corporate sponsor, Conoco," said Mike Easley, co-chairman of Keep 5 Alive. "They have packaged their support, not only in financial assistance, but also in manpower ranging annually from 500 to 600 of their employees in the restoration and painting of senior citizen's homes."

This year Conoco employees, with assistance from St. John's Baptist Church parishioners, are planning a block party to encourage homeowners to mow and maintain their yards.

"It's a nice balance of ideas, expertise, and enthusiasm," said Robin Blunt, Executive Director for Keep Houston Beautiful. "We motivate each other to work together in order to find new ways to help improve the Fifth Ward."

This year a generous grant for the Keep 5 Alive cleanup has been provided by the Houston Rockets Vecinos Unidos Program, a charitable fund which contributes to grass roots projects that help the community.

Keep 5 Alive is a combined effort on the part of Keep Houston Beautiful, Conoco, and the Mayor's Clean Neighborhoods Program. We encourage all current and former residents of the Fifth Ward to come out and lend a helping hand.

Transportation, lunch, entertainment, and prizes are provided free during the course of the event. To find out how to volunteer, please contact Robert Cowin with Keep Houston Beautiful (713)-838-8855 Ext: 14