COVID-19 Forces Eco-Focused Nonprofit to Forego Its 40th Anniversary Celebration, Annual Awards Presentation and Sole Fundraiser for the Year
Lawrenceville, Ga. – September 29, 2020 – Each year, hundreds of education, civic, business and community leaders gather in the ballroom at Infinite Energy Center for the Governor’s Environmental Address – presented by Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful (GC&B). For well over a year, plans have been underway to combine another rousing speech from Georgia Governor Brian Kemp with a presentation of the annual Environmental Consciousness and Stewardship (ECoS) Awards and a 40th Anniversary celebration of the eco-focused nonprofit and Keep America affiliate. Unfortunately, with the advent of COVID-19, many companies and organizations have had to make difficult decisions where events are concerned. The same holds true for Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful. To ensure the safety of the Governor and prospective attendees, GC&B has announced that it is cancelling the 2020 Governor’s Environmental Address – originally scheduled for October 23, 2020.
“In addition to our desire to ensure the health and well-being of Governor Kemp and all our wonderful sponsors and supporters, our Citizens Advisory Board and GC&B staff couldn’t stomach the concept of asking for sponsorships and selling tickets when so many local businesses and individuals have been hard-hit by the global pandemic,” said Schelly Marlatt, Executive Director of Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful. “The Gwinnett County community has been rallying around us and showing its support for our mission of connecting people and resources for a sustainable Gwinnett for four incredible decades. This is our way of showing our support in return. We still have a number of great events planned, like Great Days of Service where we’ll be collecting non-perishable food items at One Justice Square Building from October 1 to October 22 to support families who are struggling due to COVID-19, and America Recycles Day on November 14 where we’ll be helping our neighbors recycle electronics and cans of latex paint or rid their home of sensitive documents with secure paper shredding. While we’re sad that we won’t be able to commemorate our anniversary the way we planned, one of the best ways to celebrate 40 years of positively impacting our local environment and communities is to end the year on a high note with two highly successful events.”
Marking the nonprofit’s one and only fundraiser of the year, the cancellation of the Governor’s Environmental Address will undoubtedly create a void in GC&B’s fundraising efforts. Anyone who wishes to make a direct donation to Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful can do so at http://www.gwinnettcb.org/donate/. Donations can also be mailed to Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful at 446 W. Crogan Street, Ste. 225, Lawrenceville, GA 30046. Donations help the nonprofit continue to provide education, programs and events to ensure a greener, cleaner, more livable Gwinnett. To learn more about Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful and its programs, please visit www.gwinnettcb.org.
About Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful: Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful Services, Inc. (GCB) is a Keep America Beautiful affiliate and award-winning 501(c)(3) charitable organization. It boasts an expansive community-based network dedicated to finding long-term solutions to environmental and quality of life issues through individual action. The organization is guided by a Citizens Advisory Board that represents all sectors of the Gwinnett County community. A nationally recognized leader in creating cleaner, greener and more livable communities throughout Gwinnett, GCB involves more than 100,000 volunteers annually to clean and restore public places, recycle more, protect watersheds and develop the next generation of environmental stewards. To learn more about Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful and its mission of “Connecting People and Resources for a Sustainable Gwinnett,” please visit www.GwinnettCB.org.
