As a way to say thanks to Atlanta’s eco-friendly citizens, WSB-TV and the Trust for Public Land are teaming up to recognize green leaders in our community! After nominations and public voting, one winner will be awarded $5,000 to donate to the environmental nonprofit of his or her choice. Below is the press release sent in by Ellen Adair Wyche of the Wyche Group. Read on and nominate your favorite environmentally-conscious person today!
WSB-TV and The Trust For Public Land:
Calling All Conservation-Friendly Citizens
Cox Conserves Heroes program to include public nominations, online voting
ATLANTA (May 26, 2009) — Do you know an everyday hero who is making great strides today to ensure a greener tomorrow? WSB-TV Channel 2, in partnership with the Trust for Public Land (TPL), today launched Cox Conserves Heroes – Atlanta, a national awards program to honor and celebrate conservation in everyday life.
Cox Conserves Heroes-Atlanta is now accepting nominations at www.wsbtv.com/community. The Cox Conserves Hero, chosen by online consumer voting, will be awarded $5,000 to donate to the environmental nonprofit of his or her choice.
“The Trust for Public Land’s mission is to conserve land for people to use and enjoy forever, so we are thrilled to partner with Cox to identify and honor people who are making a personal difference in Atlanta,” said TPL’s Executive Director, Helen Tapp. “We’re fortunate to have engaged citizens who want to be actively involved in creating more greenspaces, promoting environmental best practices and enhancing the quality of life in the metro area.”
WSB-TV Channel 2 Action News reporter Justin Farmer will broadcast public service announcements encouraging viewers to nominate people in their community who are helping to create, preserve or enhance places for everyone to enjoy – parks, greenways, gardens, waterways, plazas, streets and public squares. By improving our shared environment, these conservation heroes make Atlanta a better place for everyone to live.
Following the nomination stage, finalists will be selected by the Cox Conserves Judging Circle, a group of local civic leaders. Their stories can be accessed through www.wsbtv.com/community, so the public can learn more about the finalists before voting. The finalist receiving the most online votes will be named the Cox Conserves Hero.
Cox Conserves Heroes Timeline:
- May 26 – June 19: “Call for Nominations.” The public can visit www.wsbtv.com/community to nominate an individual;
- August 10 – August 31: “Cast Your Vote.” The public can view videos of the finalists and cast their vote;
- September: “Cox Conserves Hero Announcement.” Following the online voting, Atlanta’s Cox Conserves Hero will be announced in early September.
By showcasing these unsung heroes, WSB-TV and TPL hope to inspire more people to take an active role in neighborhood conservation activities.
The Cox Conserves Heroes program was created in 2007 through a partnership between The Trust for Public Land and Cox Enterprises, the parent company of WSB-TV. The partnership stems from Cox Enterprises’ national Cox Conserves program designed to reduce the company’s carbon footprint by 20 percent by 2017, and promote eco-friendly behavior among its employees, communities and other corporations. The Cox Conserves Heroes program is active in Seattle and San Diego and will launch in San Francisco and New Orleans this year.
Media Contacts:
Elizabeth Halter
elizabeth.halter@coxinc.com; 678-645-0762
Ellen Adair Wyche
The Wyche Group for The Trust for Public Land
eawyche@thewychegroup.com; 404- 233-4480
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About WSB-TV
Channel 2, WSB-TV, is part of Cox Media Group and is an ABC Affiliate. Cox Media Group, Inc. is a broadcasting, publishing and digital media subsidiary of Atlanta-based Cox Enterprises. It includes the broadcast stations of Cox Television; publishing titles of Cox Newspapers; majority-owned, publicly-traded Cox Radio [NYSE: CXR]; and the national advertising rep firms of TeleRep, HRP, MMT Sales and Cox Cross Media.
About The Trust for Public Land
The Trust for Public Land (TPL) is a national nonprofit land conservation organization that conserves land for people to enjoy as parks, gardens, and natural areas, ensuring livable communities for generations to come. Since 1972, TPL has worked with willing landowners, community groups, and national, state, and local agencies to complete more than 3,500 land conservation projects in 47 states, protecting 2.5 million acres. TPL has helped states and communities craft and pass over 330 ballot measures, generating almost $25 billion in new conservation-related funding. In Georgia, TPL has conserved over 20,000 acres and has been instrumental in three primary programmatic areas: Parks for People (including the Atlanta BeltLine and other urban projects), Chattahoochee River Protection Campaign (Phase III) and Georgia Green (also called G2).
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