KEEP AMERICA BEAUTIFUL, INC. CELEBRATES ITS FIRST HALF-CENTURY

Keep America Beautiful is marking its 50th year of improving communities nationwide by setting ambitious goals for the future, and issuing a call for all Americans to step forward to help meet those goals.

Keep America Beautiful is marking its 50th year of improving communities nationwide by setting ambitious goals for the future, and issuing a call for all Americans to step forward to help meet those goals.
According to a national survey conducted last month by Keep America Beautiful, nearly half (47%) of those surveyed think that we, as individuals, are not doing enough to keep our communities clean and attractive. However, nearly two-thirds (65%) of those responding said they would be willing to volunteer a few hours each month on local community improvement projects such as cleaning up litter, painting over graffiti, planting flowers and trees, or refurbishing parks and playgrounds.
Its very encouraging to confirm the interest of nearly two-thirds of the American people in taking action to improve the quality of life in the environments where we live and work," said G. Raymond Empson, president of Keep America Beautiful. Our network of affiliated organizations provide citizens with numerous opportunities to get involved -- to join their neighbors in improving their communities."
To mobilize this volunteer spirit, Keep America Beautiful today announced a bold new initiative for the future: the 50 By 50 Plan." Over the next 50 months, KAB and its network of affiliates and volunteers will strive to accomplish these goals:
·   Increase the number of its volunteers nationwide by 50%
·   Increase the number of young people educated about environmental responsibility by 50%
·   Increase the number of community cleanup, greenup and fixup activities by 50%
·   Increase the cleanup and prevention of graffiti-marred sites by 50%
·   Increase renovation and restoration of parks, playgrounds and community recreation areas by 50%
·   Increase roadway, shoreline and waterway cleanups by 50%
For the past 50 years, Keep America Beautiful has played a leading role in educating and motivating individuals at the grassroots level to act to improve their community environments through litter prevention, beautification and waste reduction," said Empson. Each of us has an important role to play in affecting positive change. We hope that our next 50 years are marked by even greater growth and progress in sustaining the quality of our community environments."
Keep America Beautiful and its landmark public service announcements of the 1970s are frequently credited with awakening the environmental awareness of an entire generation. The Clio Award-winning Crying Indian," -- which was named one of the top 100 advertising campaigns of the century by Advertising Age, TV Guide and E Magazine -- resonated deeply with Americans and helped instill an environmental ethic. Since it first aired, the public service announcement has been seen by billions of people around the world.
Other PSAs have featured Susan Spotless reminding us that Every Litter Bit Hurts," Lassie placing litter in its proper place -- a trash can -- Dont Be A Litterbug," and long support from former First Lady Mrs. Lyndon Johnson who on many occasions highlighted Keep America Beautifuls beautification efforts.
Keep America Beautiful organizes and leads millions of volunteers each year to take part in cleanup and beautification programs in their local communities. These programs include the Great American Cleanup, KABs signature event, which is the countrys largest annual community improvement program, taking place from March through May each year. Graffiti Hurts is a turnkey educational, non-confrontational tool for schools, communities and law enforcement that illustrates the harm -- and significant costs -- graffiti causes cities and towns. It turns around a potential downward spiral by addressing community-based solutions for graffiti abatement and prevention.
The Waste In Place program is an elementary school curriculum supplement that has been reaching students and teachers since 1979. In a classroom situation, the environmentalists of tomorrow are taught the sense of individual responsibility for, and ownership of, ones local environment. In 2001, almost 1 million students were reached with these lessons in environmental citizenship.
The touchstone of Keep America Beautiful has always been individual responsibility," said Empson. Our first half-century exemplifies the great success that can be achieved when individuals choose to make a difference and work together as stewards of our environment."
The year 2003 will be marked with numerous activities around the country by Keep America Beautifuls more than 500 local, statewide and international affiliates. Keep America Beautiful has grown dramatically over the last 50 years into the nations leading community improvement organization, focusing on the areas of litter prevention, beautification and community improvement, and waste reduction.
For a complete listing of all Keep America Beautiful programs and activities, including 50th anniversary activities as they unfold throughout 2003, please visit the Keep America Beautiful website at www.kab.org.