KEEP AMERICA BEAUTIFUL TO PRESENT THE 2002 MRS. LYNDON B. JOHNSON AWARD TO RACHEL COOPER, A FRIEND OF KEEP INDIANAPOLIS BEAUTIFUL

Keep America Beautiful has announced that the recipient of the 2002 Mrs. Lyndon B. Johnson Award is Rachel Cooper, for her tireless years of work in beautification and anti-litter initiatives that have helped make her community grow and prosper as a safer and more beautiful place to live. Cooper, a friend of Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, is to be honored on December 6, 2002 during Keep America Beautiful's 49th National Awards Program and Conference in Washington, D.C.

Keep America Beautiful has announced that the recipient of the 2002 Mrs. Lyndon B. Johnson Award is Rachel Cooper, for her tireless years of work in beautification and anti-litter initiatives that have helped make her community grow and prosper as a safer and more beautiful place to live.

Cooper first became involved with Keep Indianapolis Beautiful (KIB) in 1996, through the Glad Bag-a-Thon, the precursor to the Great American Cleanupä, and then Project 180° IPL Revive-a-Neighborhood, KIBs beautification grants program. Cooper has applied for and received this grant every year for the past six years. As president of the South East Community Organization (SECO), a volunteer post, she and SECO each year plant a new garden or beautify a new spot. These include median beautification at two major intersections, a childrens garden, and beautification of the baseball park where her summer baseball teams play.

This year SECO beautified the entrance to Capitol City Metals, an automobile shredding business whose property had been looked at unfavorably by some in the community. Cooper decided that partnering and relationship-building would benefit the community more than fighting, and so with help from the company, KIB and local volunteers, she led the beautification of the property entrance by planting trees, shrubs, flowers and a brick wall enclosing the raised beds.

SECO has truly flourished under Coopers direction. When she first became president, the organization had $37.50 in the bank and very little community support. With her leadership and fund-raising skill, they now bring in enough funds to support eight teams of 17 children each in a summer baseball league, as well as a crew of up to 35 youth who work each summer at house painting, grass cutting for the elderly, and weekly trash cleanups.

SECO also plans anywhere from 12 to 20 cleanup events through the Great American Cleanupä. Cooper hosts a community dumpster" for heavy trash items provided by the Department of Public Works. Twice a year she hosts a mobile transfer station in which the city supplies a trash truck, dumpster and truck with mechanical claw for very heavy items. At this time residents can drop off anything they wish at no charge; both Cooper and the Department of Public Works believe this keeps many of these items from ending up in illegal dumpsites.

In addition to these busy activities, Cooper still finds time to serve as a crime watch block captain, as she has for the past 15 years. Since 1994 she has been instrumental in the removal of 48 drug houses in her community. She is also an active volunteer member of the Southside Community Court, which puts community work service offenders back into the community where they committed their crime.

Rachel Coopers ability to draw people together to accomplish environmental goals is remarkable," said G. Raymond Empson, President of Keep America Beautiful. She has taught by leadership and example the dramatic change that one inspired person can bring."

Keep America Beautifuls Mrs. Lyndon B. Johnson Award originated during a Salute to Women in Beautification" program, which was held in 1968 during Keep America Beautifuls 15th National Conference. The award commemorates the former First Ladys many litter prevention and beautification activities. Rachel Cooper is the 46th woman to receive this award for exceptional leadership in litter prevention and beautification activities.

Keep America Beautiful, Inc. is a nonprofit organization whose network of more than 500 local, statewide and international affiliate programs educates individuals about litter prevention and ways to reduce, reuse, recycle and properly manage waste materials. Through partnerships and strategic alliances with citizens, businesses and government, Keep America Beautifuls programs motivate millions of volunteers annually to clean up, beautify and improve their neighborhoods, thereby creating healthier, safer and more livable community environments.