Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful received top honors at Keep America Beautiful’s recent 61st National Conference in Charlotte, NC, where they were once again recognized for innovative programming and partnerships, excellence in management and administration, and volunteer contributions.

(Photo: Shannon Reiter, President of Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful, (left) accepts the 2013 Keep America Beautiful Innovation Award from Jennifer Jehn, President and CEO of Keep America Beautiful.)

Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful received first place for The Cigarette Litter Prevention Program - First Time Implementation. 

Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful conducted the 2013 Cigarette Litter Prevention Program, at twenty-five locations in downtown Erie, five locations at Erie State Parks, and twenty locations covering the entire coastal zone from the New York border to the Ohio border with a 57 percent overall reduction in cigarette butts. 

Also targeted were the City of Pittsburgh neighborhoods of Brookline, Oakland/Forbes Avenue, Squirrel Hill/Forbes Avenue, and South Side/East Carson Street with a 49% overall reduction of cigarette butts.

The 2013 Keep America Beautiful State Affiliate Innovation Award for Partnerships was presented to Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful for their work at two local veterans’ hospitals.

In partnership with Keep Ohio Beautiful and The Home Depot, Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful transformed courtyards and cement patios into beautiful outdoor spaces for our veterans at the Columbus VA Medical Center and VA Butler Healthcare.

These projects provide veterans with increased access to new and improved gardens and the opportunity to be actively engaged in horticultural activities with the introduction of raised beds and planters.

Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful was recognized with the State Affiliate – Gold Level Award for carrying out programs such as the Great American Cleanup, International Coastal Cleanup, and Fresh Paint Days, among others.

In addition, the 2013 Keep America Beautiful President’s Gold Circle Award was presented to Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful and its affiliates, Keep Philadelphia Beautiful and Westmoreland Cleanways, for their management and program excellence. 

Also recognized from Pennsylvania was the Department of Transportation for their generous support for the Great American Cleanup of PA, Recreation Equipment, Inc., for their partnership with Keep Bedford County Beautiful in community events and the initiation of a local tree bank, Boris Weinstein from Pittsburgh, for the Iron Eyes Cody Award, and Nicole Chandler from Philadelphia, for the Mrs. Lyndon B. Johnson Award.  

Keep America Beautiful’s annual National Conference brought together KAB affiliate leaders from across the country to share best practices and celebrate the successes of the past year.

“Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful is honored and grateful to be a part of the Keep America Beautiful National Conference where resources and ideas can be shared with a broad network of partners,” explains Shannon Reiter, President of Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful, “We are honored to be recognized by this national organization.”

For more information, visit the Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful website.

2/17/2014