Environmentally-Focused Non-Profit – Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful – Encourages Local Citizens, Businesses, Organizations, Schools, Churches, Neighborhoods and Civic Groups to Take Part in the Gwinnett Challenge through May 31, 2014 for 10 Opportunities to Win $500

Duluth, GA – April 21 – Several weeks still remain for Gwinnett County citizens, businesses, organizations, schools, churches, neighborhoods and civic groups to take part in the Great American Cleanup™ – Gwinnett Challenge.  First introduced in 1999 by national environmental non-profit Keep America Beautiful, the Great American Cleanup™ represents the nation’s largest annual community improvement program. Designed to enlist the involvement of  volunteers from all walks of life to clean-up, fix-up, paint-up, and green-up in a combined effort to keep their community beautiful, Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful has spearheaded Keep America Beautiful’s Great American Cleanup the local level since its inception. In addition to the emotional rewards that come with being one of more than 4 million volunteers and concerned citizens in communities all across the nation who are working together to beautify neighborhoods, reduce waste, initiate recycling programs, plant trees and gardens, and so much more – the Great American Cleanup – Gwinnett Challenge also offers its fair share of financial rewards. Individuals, companies, schools and organizations who register for the Challenge, complete their Great American Cleanup project by May 31, 2014, and submit their project for consideration by June 5, 2014, will be considered for one of 10 prizes of $500 each.

Prizes of $500 will be awarded for each of the 10 categories, including:

• Put Litter in its Place – which includes projects like organizing a neighborhood cleanup, becoming a Green & Healthy School, and Adopting a Road.
• Recycle Now – which includes projects such as collecting recyclable items from work and delivering them to the Recycling Bank of Gwinnett and donating gently used items to a local charitable organization or shelter.
• Wipeout Graffiti – which includes projects like organizing a graffiti paint out party in one’s neighborhood and creating a graffiti-free zone near one’s home or work.
• Beautify Your Space – which includes projects such as creating an inventory of trees in one’s neighborhood and organizing a flower, shrub and tree planting party.
• Grow Green – which includes projects like initiating a community vegetable garden, creating a flower garden at a nearby retirement facility and adopting a median to keep clean and well-landscaped.
• Stash the Trash – which includes projects such as organizing a cleanup of a vacant lot or illegal dumpsite and reporting illegal dumpsites to Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful.
• Save Our Streams – which includes projects like Adopting a Stream and organizing a stream cleanup party.
• Reuse It – which includes collecting gently used clothing, toys and building materials to deliver to a local non-profit or shelter in need.
• Green Up Your Neighborhood – which includes projects such as cleaning and beautifying the entrances to one’s community, picking up litter around the neighborhood, and mowing the lawn of an elderly neighbor.

“Not only is it easy to register and take part in the Great American Cleanup,” says Connie Wiggins, Executive Director for Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful. “It’s a terrific way that everyone from scout troops and school green teams to local citizens and area businesses can work together make Gwinnett the best place to live, work, play and learn.  Beyond the gratification of knowing you are doing something good for your community, your project will be considered for a chance to win $500 at the conclusion of the Great American Cleanup AND may even be considered for recognition during our next Environmental Consciousness and Stewardship (ECOS) Awards Dinner.”

To become involved in the Great American Cleanup – Gwinnett Challenge, interested parties are invited to visit the Great American Cleanup – Gwinnett Challenge page on the Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful website (www.gwinnettcb.org/great-american-cleanup/). The page offers visitors the opportunity to take the Pledge to become a steward of the environment beyond the parameters of the event, choose from a list of activities or design a Great American Cleanup activity of their own imagining, review rules and guidelines for participation, and register their project idea online. Projects must be completed by May 31, 2014, and teams are encouraged to take and submit photos of their project along with their post-project results form. Projects will be reviewed by a Selection Committee and prize recipients will be selected based on the biggest transformation or impact on the community. For those companies and individuals who wish to show their support for Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful, but are unable to give the gift of their time – financial contributions and corporate sponsorships are always gratefully welcome and can be made securely online at www.gwinnettcb.org.

About Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful:  Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful Services, Inc. (GCB) is an award-winning 501(c)3 charitable organization that 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 55-member 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 help prevent litter and graffiti, recycle and reduce waste, and increase environmental awareness. To learn more about Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful and its programs, aspiring environmental stewards are invited to visit www.GwinnettCB.org.