Keep America Beautiful Rallies Volunteers for Great American Cleanup “National Day of Action” on April 6

Country’s Largest Community Improvement Movement Features Events in Nine Cities
Apr 4, 2013 10:30 AM ET

STAMFORD, Conn., April 4, 2013 /3BL Media/ - The Great American Cleanup, Keep America Beautiful’s flagship program, is conducting its second annual “National Day of Action” on Saturday, April 6, with volunteer initiatives taking place throughout the country. The day serves as a national platform to encourage volunteerism through Keep America Beautiful (KAB), the nation’s leading nonprofit that brings people together to build and sustain vibrant communities.

This year, Great American Cleanup activities will take place in nearly all 50 states, with special events planned in Carroll County, Ga.; Cleveland; Corpus Christie, Texas; Hartford, Conn.; Los Angeles; Oklahoma City, Okla.; Pearland, Texas; Phoenix and Tampa Bay, Fla. Each of these locations will have large-scale cleanups and other coordinated events with community impact. Volunteers will participate in recycling events; paint out graffiti; restore vacant lots; build community and edible gardens; clean up litter and debris from roads, waterways and illegal dump sites; and plant thousands of flowers, plants and trees. Those interested in volunteering can visit kab.org for a list of participating organizations and a map of “National Day of Action” events.

“People and places are profoundly interconnected, which is why the Great American Cleanup is such a vital catalyst in building vibrant communities,” said Matthew M. McKenna, president and CEO of KAB. “Volunteering on the National Day of Action is a great way to boost community spirit and get things done."

Cleanup efforts during the day, from across the country will also be featured on KAB’s new, interactive Social Volunteer Hub (kabcleanup.org) that brings the Great American Cleanup story to life, allowing volunteers to share their cleanup experiences in real time through the power of social media. By using the #KeepAmericaBeautiful or #GreatAmericanCleanup hashtag, volunteers nationwide connect through the social hub as it aggregates volunteers’ tweets, Instagram photos, Facebook posts and Foursquare check-ins to one location. This new tool will help inspire the next generation of environmental stewards to become more involved in their local community’s volunteer activities.

Earlier this year, as a kick off to the Great American Cleanup, Keep America Beautiful also announced its 2013 Vibrant Communities Impact Goals that reflect the nonprofits actions in more than 20,000 communities across the country. For a list of the goals, which range from planting 150,000 trees to cleaning and restoring 200,000 public acres and sites, visit kab.org.

The national sponsors of the 2013 Great American Cleanup to date are: The Dow Chemical Company; The Glad Products Company; LG Electronics U.S.A., Inc.; Nestlé® Pure Life® Purified Water; PepsiCo's Pepsi-Cola and Gatorade companies; Solo Cup Company; Troy-Bilt® Lawn and Garden Equipment; Waste Management, WM Recycle Service; and Wrigley.

Share your efforts by liking KAB on Facebook, follow on Twitter (@kabtweet) and post with #KeepAmericaBeautiful on Twitter, Instagram and Foursquare.

About Keep America Beautiful
Keep America Beautiful is the nation’s leading nonprofit that brings people together to build and sustain vibrant communities. With a strong national network of 1,200 affiliate and partners including state recycling organizations, the national nonprofit works with millions of volunteers who take action in their communities. Keep America Beautiful offers solutions that create clean, beautiful public places, reduce waste and increase recycling, inspire generations of environmental stewards and generate positive impact on local economies. Through our programs and public-private partnerships, we engage individuals to take greater responsibility for improving their community’s environment. For more information, visit kab.org.