Keep America Beautiful Kicks Off New York City's Great American Cleanup Effort, March 21, in Times Square

Keep America Beautiful Kicks Off New York City's Great American Cleanup Effort, March 21, in Times Square

New York City to Unveil STOMP OUT LITTER PSA Campaign

STAMFORD, Conn., March 21 /PRNewswire/ -- National nonprofit Keep America Beautiful(R) will mobilize millions of volunteers nationwide to clean, beautify and improve their communities during the Great American Cleanup(TM), the nation's largest community improvement program held annually from March 1 through May 31. New York City's official kickoff of its Great American Cleanup effort will take place in Times Square's Military Triangle at 43rd Street and Broadway on March 21 at 11:30 a.m. The Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City and the NYC Department of Sanitation in conjunction with Waste Management, Inc., will also unveil their new anti-litter campaign -- STOMP OUT LITTER -- and encourage city residents to get involved.

The kickoff will include an exhilarating performance from STOMP, the percussion sensation that has become a worldwide phenomenon. The cast of STOMP star in a new series of public service announcements and print ads for the city's new STOMP OUT LITTER campaign. All five boroughs are captured in the stunning spots, which follow cast members across the city from places including The Bronx Zoo, the Staten Island Ferry, the Brooklyn Bridge Promenade, the World's Fair Unisphere in Flushing, a Corona street scene, Central Park, and Times Square, among other iconic locations.

Festivities will begin with Presentation of Colors by the New York City Department of Sanitation color guard and singers from the High School for Environmental Studies leading the crowd in the national anthem. Actor and talk show host Tony Danza will address the crowd and unveil the top 10 ways to stomp out litter in New York City.

"New York City is the cleanest it's been in over three decades, and with this dynamic public awareness campaign it will only get better," said Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. "I am delighted to launch the STOMP OUT LITTER campaign to sustain and enhance the great work of our Sanitation Department. We are grateful to our invaluable partners in this effort, Waste Management, Inc., STOMP and Keep America Beautiful, who are helping to spread the anti-litter message."

"The Department of Sanitation is very proud to launch the STOMP OUT LITTER campaign whose objective is to eliminate, once and for all, littering in New York City," said Sanitation Commissioner John J. Doherty. "We're fortunate to be joined in this effort by our partners: Keep America Beautiful and the extraordinary dance group STOMP. Although the men and women of Sanitation tirelessly work to keep the Big Apple clean, in a city the size of New York, cleanliness is everybody's responsibility. So let's all work together to stomp out litter and keep New York City clean."

"Waste Management is excited to be a part of this unique effort to promote environmental stewardship," said David P. Steiner, CEO, Waste Management, Inc. "Whether it's keeping New York City litter-free or helping to promote recycling, it's all a part of thinking green and being a trusted and valued community partner."

"Keep America Beautiful is proud to kick off its New York City Great American Cleanup effort in Times Square for the third consecutive year," said G. Raymond Empson, president of Keep America Beautiful, "and we're especially excited to be a part of New York's announcement of its anti-litter initiative, STOMP OUT LITTER. This is further demonstration of how important litter prevention and other quality of life issues are to Mayor Bloomberg and New York's Department of Sanitation."

Desiree T. Sayle, Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of USA Freedom Corps, will deliver remarks on behalf of President George W. Bush, who is serving as the Honorary Chair of the Great American Cleanup for the fourth consecutive year, and Mrs. Laura Bush, who is joining him as the Honorary Chair for the second consecutive year. Sayle will present Carl Berner, a 104- year-old "super volunteer" from Queens, N.Y., with the President's Volunteer Service Award. For 68 years, Berner has participated in civic and community improvement activities and has motivated others to clean up and beautify the Middle Village community.

The event will also include appearances from Commissioner John J. Doherty from the NYC Department of Sanitation; Keep America Beautiful's President Ray Empson and Vice President Gail Cunningham, who is also the Managing Director of the Great American Cleanup, and approximately 100 students combined from NYC-area high schools including the High School for Environmental Studies, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis High School and the Repertory Company High School for Theatre Arts. The event will be live-broadcast on three of the "big boards": The ABC Times Square Studios board, NBC Astrovision by Panasonic and the Reuters Sign at 3 Times Square. Several other boards will feature tributes to Keep America Beautiful and the Great American Cleanup.

In 2006, the Great American Cleanup is expected to involve 2.5 million people, who will volunteer more than 8 million hours to clean, beautify and improve 15,000 communities during 30,000 events in all 50 states. Activities will include beautifying parks and recreation areas, cleaning seashores and waterways, handling recycling collections, picking up litter, planting trees and flowers, and conducting educational programs and litter-free events.

On March 2, Keep America Beautiful joined the State of Mississippi in mobilizing hundreds of volunteers to clean up, fix up and beautify the city of Biloxi as part of a Hurricane Katrina restoration project for the Great American Cleanup. With the help of state and local affiliates, and Great American Cleanup sponsors, the event made a visible difference in the community by removing debris and replanting coastal areas. Ongoing activities in the Biloxi area connected to the three-month Great American Cleanup will include additional debris removal and tree planting, household hazardous waste collection, collecting electronic debris for proper disposal and recycling, and roadway/waterway litter clean-ups.

America's companies are dedicated to supporting and sponsoring the efforts for the 2006 Great American Cleanup. The national sponsors include: American Honda Motor Company, Inc., Firestone Complete Auto Care(TM) TiresPlus(R), GLAD(R) ForceFlex(TM) Trash Bags from The Glad Products Company, Pepsi-Cola Company, SAM'S CLUB(R), Scotts Miracle-Gro Company, Sparkle(R) Paper Towels from Georgia-Pacific Corporation, Troy-Bilt(R), Waste Management, Inc. and the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company; Educational Partner: Rubber Manufacturers Association.

About Keep America Beautiful, Inc.

Keep America Beautiful, Inc., established in 1953, is the nation's largest volunteer-based community action and education organization. This national nonprofit forms public-private partnerships and programs that engage individuals to take greater responsibility for improving their community's environment. The Great American Cleanup(TM) is the organization's signature program that mobilizes millions of volunteers to improve their communities through hands-on participation. For more information, visit http://www.kab.org/.

About The Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City

The Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City raises money to promote the general welfare of the City's residents and aid civic improvements. The Fund supports the work of many City Agencies including Education, Parks, Health, and Cultural Affairs, and raises funds for many quality of life initiatives. For more information please contact the Mayor's Fund to Advance New York by dialing 311.

About the NYC Department of Sanitation

The Department of Sanitation (DSNY) promotes a healthy environment through the efficient management of solid waste and the development of environmentally sound long-range plans for handling refuse. The Department operates 59 district garages and manages a fleet of 2,040 rear-loading collection trucks and 450 mechanical brooms. Each day, approximately 11,900 tons of household and institutional waste are collected. The Department clears litter, snow and ice from approximately 6,000 city street miles, and removes debris from vacant lots, as well as abandoned vehicles from city streets.

About STOMP

STOMP, the percussion sensation that has become a worldwide phenomenon, and just celebrated its 12th anniversary at New York's Orpheum Theatre, has been seen all over the world and has played in venues ranging from The Acropolis in Athens, to Mister Rogers Neighborhood, to The Academy Awards. Created by Luke Cresswell and Steve McNicholas, STOMP can currently be seen in New York, London's West End, and on North American, European and Asian tours. A unique combination of percussion, movement and visual comedy, STOMP has created its own inimitable form of rhythmic expression. It is a journey through sound, a celebration of the everyday, and a comic interplay of characters wordlessly communicating through dance and drum. STOMP is the winner of an Olivier Award, an Outer Critics Circle Award for Unique Theatrical Experience, and an Obie Award. Visit stomponline.com for more information.

CONTACTS
Josette Robinson/Robert Wallace
Office: 212.279.3115 ext. 212/ 203.323.8987, Ext. 811
Cell : 917.748.7794/ 203.313.4937
Email: josette@cjpcom.com/ rwallace@kab.org
Web site: www.kab.org

Source: Keep America Beautiful, Inc.

CONTACT: Josette Robinson, +1-212-279-3115, ext. 212, or
cell - +1-917-748-7794, josette@cjpcom.com, or Robert Wallace,
+1-203-323-8987, ext. 811 or cell - +1-203-313-4937, rwallace@kab.org, both of
Keep America Beautiful, Inc.

Web site: http://www.kab.org/

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