Contact: Kathy Cates
Phone: (336) 373-2967

 Greensboro Beautiful Inc. Celebrates 40th Anniversary

GREENSBORO, NC -- (September 8, 2008) -- Ever wonder who makes Greensboro beautiful or who keeps Greensboro beautiful? 

Greensboro Beautiful Inc. is a unique private, nonprofit, volunteer organization whose mission for the past 40 years has been “To conserve and enhance the beauty and ecology of our community through public and private cooperation.” Working in partnership with the City of Greensboro and its residents since 1968, Greensboro Beautiful has made a significant impact on the quality of life we all enjoy every day.

Greensboro Beautiful sets the standard – the Public Gardens show commitment to our natural environment.
GBI has sponsored design and construction of our three public gardens - the Greensboro Arboretum, the Tanger Family Bicentennial Garden, The Bog Garden, and the new Gateway Gardens (under construction soon). The organization also sponsors three free, fun-filled, family events in the gardens each year – Parisian Promenade at the Bicentennial Garden; Bayou Bash in the Bog; and Art in the Arboretum. These events attract over 5,000 each to the gardens in the spring, summer, and fall.

Greensboro Beautiful plants the seeds of tomorrow – Urban Forestry Projects show commitment to keeping the green in Greensboro.
GBI supports urban reforestation through its annual NeighborWoods Community Tree Planting Project; the Memorial/Honor Tree Program; and Arbor Day Tree Giveaways in March.

Greensboro Beautiful brings people together – Clean Community Programs show commitment to improving the community’s environment.
It sponsors the Clean Campus Program to educate K-12 students about litter prevention and recycling; and sponsors two annual community-wide litter cleanup events - Big Sweep and the Great American Cleanup. 

Greensboro Beautiful engages the community  - Community Landscaping initiatives show commitment to enhancing public areas throughout the entire community.
Working in partnership with the City of Greensboro and community neighborhoods, GBI has developed over 100 landscaped sites on public property throughout the city; and provides funds to support a Neighborhood Initiative Grants Program.

The organization conducts a Business Landscape Awards Program and recognizes other community appearance efforts at its Annual Meeting and Awards Ceremony; and collaborates with the Greensboro Parks & Recreation Department and the NC Cooperative Extension Service to present horticulture education through the “Growing the Green Way” program series.

In 2007, Greensboro Beautiful was recognized by the National Recreation and Parks Association for its outstanding programs as the recipient of the prestigious NRPA National Award for Voluntary Service. Last year, nearly 3,000 volunteers gave over 12,000 hours to the community; and over $1.3 million in cash contributions, in-kind goods and services, volunteer hours, and cost avoidance was generated by GBI from the community. 

Funding for Greensboro Beautiful programs (approximately $150,000 annually) is raised locally from contributions from businesses, individuals, civic organizations, sponsorships, and fundraising events. Greensboro Beautiful serves the entire population of Greensboro, and makes a significant contribution to the quality of life we all enjoy in our community.

For more information on how to support Greensboro Beautiful or how to get involved, visit www.greensborobeautiful.org.

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