For Immediate Release

Contact Information: Sarah Beth Vandiver
Shoals Chamber of Commerce
Phone: (256) 764-4661
Fax: (256) 766-9017
sarabvandiver@shoalschamber.com

October 17, 2007 – The Shoals, AL

Keep The Shoals Beautiful Gains Municipal Support
Shoals’ Cities and Counties Pass Resolutions of Support   

Florence , Alabama , October 17, 2007 – Keep The Shoals Beautiful (KTSB) is gaining significant municipal support since becoming an affiliate of Keep America Beautiful (KAB) in September.  Tuesday, October 16, the Florence City Council passed a “Resolution of Support” of the organization.  The city councils of Sheffield and Tuscumbia passed similar resolutions at their October 1 meetings, with Muscle Shoals passing it on October 15, and the Colbert County Commission passing it on October 9.  The Resolution of Support is on the October 22 agenda for the Lauderdale County Commission.    

“Keep The Shoals Beautiful depends on many facets of community support and involvement, including that of government, in order to succeed and help meet the challenges of erasing litter from our Shoals landscape and keeping it beautiful,” said Malinda Harrison, Chair of KTSB’s Board of Directors, speaking at the Florence City Council meeting.  “Our area is blessed with a number of solid organizations and programs, including Florence ’s ‘Adopt-a-Street’, that are dedicated to the similar goal of improving our community.  Keep The Shoals Beautiful looks forward to partnering with those groups.”  

“Keep The Shoals Beautiful is thankful and appreciative to the City Council for consideration of this resolution and for its promise of support,” Harrison continued.  

In passing the Resolutions, the municipalities acknowledged their desire as governing bodies to improve the physical quality of community life, and acknowledged that “…a clean environment contributes to the emotional, physical and economic well-being of our citizens….”  The municipalities endorsed the organization, and recognized the Keep The Shoals Beautiful mission to “…empower and engage citizens, businesses and officials in The Shoals area to take action, ownership and responsibility for protecting and enhancing their environment.”  

KTSB received formal certification September 28, 2007 as a KAB affiliate.  It is the first affiliate of its kind in the state of Alabama , in that it incorporates and coordinates efforts across several city and county boundaries.  The organization joined 13 other Keep America Beautiful affiliates in the state of Alabama .  Other Alabama affiliates include non-profit and government organizations in Athens-Limestone, Auburn , Birmingham , Center Point, Citronelle, Etowah, Guntersville, Hartselle, Huntsville , Mobile , Montgomery , Opelika and Saraland.  

Keep America Beautiful (www.kab.org) is a national non-profit public education organization dedicated since 1953 to engaging individuals to take great responsibility for improving their community environments.  

Keep The Shoals Beautiful is a non-profit organization empowering and engaging citizens, businesses and officials in the Shoals area to take action, ownership and responsibility for protecting and enhancing their environment.  KTSB coordinates efforts, programs and events across The Shoals area in northwest Alabama , including the cities of Florence , Muscle Shoals, Sheffield, Tuscumbia and Colbert and Lauderdale County .  

For more information on becoming a member and getting involved with local affiliate, Keep The Shoals Beautiful, contact KTSB Coordinator, Sarah Beth Vandiver at (256) 764-4661 or sarahbvandiver@shoalschamber.com.

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