Seventeen first-place winners have been selected in the 2002 Keep America Beautiful National Awards competition. The awards will be presented on December 6 at Keep America Beautiful's 49th annual National Conference in Washington, D.C.

Five first-place affiliate awards will be given to Keep America Beautiful affiliates in various population categories which have demonstrated exceptional programs in their communities. In addition, 12 first-place national awards will be presented in the areas of beautification and community improvement, litter prevention, and waste minimization, to winners in the categories of business and professional organizations, government agencies, nonprofit, civic and community organizations, and youth groups and schools.

"Each of us has a role to play in improving the neighborhoods in which we live and work," said G. Raymond Empson, President of Keep America Beautiful. "By encouraging people to participate in cleanup, beautification and improvement projects, and by educating citizens through awareness-building initiatives, these award-winning programs are helping tremendously to keep America beautiful."

  The Keep America Beautiful first-place affiliate award winners are:

  Population Category:
  30,000 and under - Keep Scottsbluff-Gering Beautiful, Scottsbluff, NE
  30,001 to 75,000 - Keep Smyrna Beautiful, Inc., Smyrna, GA
  75,001 to 150,000 - Angelina Beautiful/Clean, Inc., Lufkin, TX
  150,001 to 500,000 - Keep Cincinnati Beautiful, Cincinnati, OH
  500,001 and above - Memphis City Beautiful Commission, Memphis, TN


  The Keep America Beautiful first-place national award winners are:
  Beautification and Community Improvement Category:
  Business and Professional Organizations - Shell Oil Company, Houston, TX
  Government Agencies - Keep Columbus Beautiful, Columbus, OH
  Nonprofit, Civic and Community Organizations - Prince William Clean
   Community Council, Prince William, VA

  Youth Groups and Schools - Cooper Elementary Ecology Club
  Submitted by:  William Mason Cooper Elementary School, Hampton, VA


  Litter Prevention Category:
  Business and Professional Organizations - Alabama Power Company
  Submitted by:  Keep Etowah Beautiful, Inc., Gadsden, AL
  Government Agencies - Hampton Clean City Commission, Hampton, VA
  Nonprofit, Civic and Community Organizations - St. John's Clean and
   Beautiful, St. John's, NF, Canada
  Youth Groups and Schools - Wise Primary School, Wise, VA


  Waste Minimization Category:
  Business and Professional Organizations - Virco Mfg. Corporation -
   Conway Division, Conway, AR
  Government Agencies - Captain M.S. Boensel
  Submitted by:  Naval Air Station, Jacksonville, Jacksonville, FL
  Nonprofit, Civic and Community Organizations - Keep Mobile Beautiful,
   Inc., Mobile, AL
  Youth Groups and Schools - Leon H. Sablatura Middle School K.I.P.P.E.R.S.,
   Pearland, TX

For a complete listing of all Keep America Beautiful 2002 award winners in all categories, as well as information on our awards program, please visit the Keep America Beautiful website at www.kab.org .

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 Beautiful's programs motivate millions of volunteers annually to clean up, beautify and improve their neighborhoods, thereby creating healthier, safer and more livable community environments.

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SOURCE: Keep America Beautiful, Inc.