Atlanta Area Non-Profits Partner For Earth Day Beltline Cleanup

ATLANTA — On Sat, April 17, 150 volunteers are expected to lend a hand for Earth Day to pick up trash, tires, debris and remove invasive plants along the BeltLine from Montgomery Ferry Road to Westminster Drive. Volunteers will meet at Ansley Mall at 8:00 am to check in, grab gloves and tools, and get to work. Their goal is to clear the walking trails that have already been established and restore them to clean, safe, walkable paths for Atlanta residents and visitors.

Keep Atlanta Beautiful has partnered with Atlanta BeltLine Inc., BeltLine Partnership, Trees Atlanta, Park Pride, Historic Fourth Ward Park Conservancy, Atlanta Community Tool Bank and Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper to organize this cleanup. Sponsors include Republic Services and Selig.

A rally is planned before the cleanup to energize volunteers. Invited officials for the rally include Mayor Kasim Reed, City Council President Caesar Mitchell and City Council Representatives Alex Wan and Aaron Watson.

Additionally, cleanup partners are inviting neighborhoods all along the BeltLine to host their own cleanups. There are cleanups already planned near Virginia Highland and Freedom Parkway. Those interested in volunteering or planning a cleanup in their neighborhood can register online at Keep Atlanta Beautiful. Pre-registration closes at midnight on April 10, 2010. It's our BeltLine. Do your part. Get connected.

About Keep Atlanta Beautiful: Keep Atlanta Beautiful, an affiliate of Keep America Beautiful, Inc., serves Atlanta by developing and implementing public education and community improvement programs that make a cleaner and greener Atlanta. These initiatives enhance the quality of life and economic development in the community by instilling pride in community ownership and a behavior change that seeks improvements in littering, recycling, beautification, and natural resource conservation. Keep Atlanta Beautiful.

About Atlanta BeltLine Inc. (ABI): ABI, an affiliate of the Atlanta Development Authority, is the entity tasked with planning and executing the implementation of the BeltLine in partnership with the BeltLine team including City of Atlanta Departments. Its functions include specifically defining the BeltLine plan; leading efforts to secure federal, state and local funding; continuing the BeltLine community engagement process; and serving as the overall project management office to execute the BeltLine plan, including the coordination of planning and execution activities with other City of Atlanta departments and managing all vendors and suppliers. Atlanta BeltLine Inc. is also responsible for tracking and reporting progress on the BeltLine to the Atlanta City Council, Atlanta Public Schools and Fulton County, the three taxing authorities that authorized the BeltLine TAD legislation in 2005.

About The BeltLine Partnership (BLP):

BLP is a non-profit organization committed to raising funds from private and philanthropic sources to support the BeltLine; working with neighborhoods, community organizations, faith organizations, businesses and other groups to raise general awareness and broad-based support for the BeltLine; and serving as a catalyst to mobilize resources to address the social concerns raised by new development around the BeltLine. BeltLine

About Trees Atlanta: Trees Atlanta is a nationally recognized citizens group that protects and improves Atlanta's urban forest by planting, conserving, and educating. Trees Atlanta

About Park Pride:

Park Pride, founded in 1989, is the only organization that works with communities all over Atlanta to improve their parks. In 2007, Park Pride coordinated more than 20,000 hours of volunteer work in Atlanta parks, developed new conceptual park plans for seven parks and helped start more than a dozen "Friends of the Park" groups. Park Pride is able to engage and serve the community by generating Friends of the Park groups, focusing on advocacy efforts as well as promoting participation in its Adopt-a-Park, Park Visioning, Volunteer, Fiscal Partners and Micro Grant programs. Park Pride continues to work with local organizations and community members to support the creation of the Atlanta BeltLine, which promises to create more than 1,000 acres of new parks and 33 miles of trails. The organization's annual Parks & Greenspace Conference serves as the signature event in our work to create a world class park system in Atlanta. Park Pride

About the Atlanta Community ToolBank:

Established in 1991, the Atlanta Community ToolBank strengthens communities through the use of shared resources. Two unique programs, the Tool Lending Program and HouseProud, equip volunteers to implement a diverse range of service initiatives including home and facility repairs, playground builds, park restoration, community cleanups and much more. Over 200 charitable groups utilize the Tool Lending Program annually to access 150 different tool types. The HouseProud program also provides  no-cost critical home repairs year-round for senior and disabled residents of designated Atlanta neighborhoods. Over 50,000 volunteers put ToolBank inventory to good use each year, completing more than 1000 community based projects. For more information about the Atlanta Community ToolBank, visit Atlanta ToolBank

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