Congratulations to Keep Broken Arrow Beautiful, a KOB affiliate, for receiving one of 18 $4,000 "Think Green" grants from Waste Management on March 8. Monies will be used to fund the group's 2013 recycling campaign.

The check was presented during a Broken Arrow City Council meeting Tuesday, April 2. Presenting the check is (L to R) Doug Sims of Waste Management & KOB's president-elect, Peggy Striegel, Chair of Keep Broken Arrow Beautiful, and Mayor Thurmond Russell Grey.

Broken Arrow residents are encouraged to visit www.keepbrokenarrowbeautiful.com for more information about their recycling efforts.

Congratulations KBAB, we are very proud to call you our Affiliate!

For more information regarding KOB affiliation, click here.

TROY-BILT®, a national sponsor of the Great American Cleanup™ (GAC), donated eight pieces of lawn equipment to Keep Oklahoma Beautiful for use during the GAC in Oklahoma for the second consecutive year. KOB hosted an essay contest, inviting GAC participants to share how the backpack leaf blowers and string trimmers would specifically benefit their project and community.

Out of a multitude of entries, a panel of judges chose 8 winners who received their equipment in time for the spring cleanups around the state. The winners are:

• Dry Creek Farm - Tahlequah
• Town of Nash
• Town of Dewar
• Weatherford Environmental Advisory Council
• Pride In McAlester
• Stanley Hupfeld Academy @ Western Village - OKC
• Warner Chamber of Commerce
• Keep Broken Arrow Beautiful

Congratulations to the winners, and thank you TROY-BILT® for your generosity!

Oklahoma City, OK (Feb. 28, 2013) – Keep Oklahoma Beautiful received a Keep America Beautiful (KAB) Gold State Recognition Award during KAB’s recent 60th anniversary National Conference in Washington, D.C., distinguishing itself as an exemplary statewide affiliate organization.

Keep Oklahoma Beautiful was honored for its outstanding promotion of KAB’s mission statewide and for its program support for local affiliates in Oklahoma.

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. The KAB State Recognition Awards recognizes statewide affiliates that have created new and innovative programs and partnerships that further their mission, while encouraging individuals to engage in activities that build and sustain vibrant communities.

“Keep America Beautiful’s State Recognition Awards recognize our state affiliates that produce creative and resourceful programming for their citizens,” said Matt McKenna, president and CEO of Keep America Beautiful. “It’s my privilege to recognize Keep Oklahoma Beautiful, Gail Ederer, Executive Director and Sonny Wilkinson, Programs Manager for the tremendous state leadership they exhibited during 2012.”



Keep Oklahoma Beautiful earned the Gold for its implementation of multiple community improvement programs, including:

• The Great American Cleanup™in Oklahoma: a 3-month campaign every spring that, for the last 4 years, has drawn participation from every county in Oklahoma. Some 34,000 volunteers from 916 different groups in 360 communities held cleanup events, educational programs, recycling competitions, tree-plantings, and a general clean sweep of the state in 2012. Devon Energy Corp became the event’s statewide sponsor. The value of the time, effort and real costs avoided by state, county and municipal governments equals a $6.2 million economic impact on the state of Oklahoma.

Groups and organizations who have registered for the Great American Cleanup™ (GAC) in Oklahoma are eligible to apply for OGE Energy Corp. cash grants and enter an essay contest to win Troy-Bilt® lawn and garden equipment.

Keep Oklahoma Beautiful (KOB) is offering $200-$300 OGE cash grants to help kick-start GAC activities for registered groups. 

A Troy-Bilt® trimmer and leaf blower are also available. Participants must submit a 300-500 word essay explaining how this equipment would help their project in order to secure the items. 

To register for the GAC and find more information regarding the grants and essay contest, click here.

The statewide sponsor of the GAC in Oklahoma is Devon Energy Corporation, who joined forces with KOB in 2012. Additional support from the Oklahoma Department of Transportation and OGE help make the GAC an award-winning success each year. 

Keep Oklahoma Beautiful is a statewide nonprofit with a mission to encourage, facilitate and recognize grassroots efforts that will improve the aesthetic, environmental and sustainable quality of life in Oklahoma.

     There have been many great partners in the world: Butch and Sundance, Starsky and Hutch, Batman and Robin, peanut butter and jelly. Now the Oklahoma Department of Transportation and Keep Oklahoma Beautiful can be added to the list of great partners. The Oklahoma Department of Transportation was presented with the National Partner Award at the 60th Annual Keep America Beautiful Conference Jan. 29 in Washington, D.C. The Keep America Beautiful and the U. S. Department of Transportation Partner Award is given to state departments of transportation for exemplary contributions and support of Keep America Beautiful and its Great American Cleanup effort. Keep Oklahoma Beautiful nominated ODOT for the award.
The biggest contribution ODOT makes to the effort is logistics. Many sponsors donate items throughout the year such as trash bags, bottled water, plates, cups and other items to Keep Oklahoma Beautiful. Through
ODOT’s network of field divisions and maintenance yards, those donated materials get to the community groups and volunteers for use in cleanup efforts.

“We move materials donated by many sponsors from our warehouse to our field divisions and our field divisions get the materials to the local maintenance yards. This ensures that every community gets the materials it needs to make the Great American Cleanup of Oklahoma a success,” Melody
Johnson, ODOT Beautification Coordinator said. During March, April and May of 2012, Oklahoma’s Great American Cleanup effort saw 346 cleanup events held across the state. More than 60,000 volunteers in all 77 counties removed more than 5 million pounds of litter.

At Monday’s meeting of the Oklahoma Transportation Commission, Keep Oklahoma Beautiful Executive Director Gail Ederer presented the Keep America Beautiful National Partner Award to the Oklahoma Department of Transportation for its partnership with KOB and support of the Great American Cleanup in Oklahoma. Pictured left to right are Former KOB President and ODOT Chief of Media and Public Relations Terri Angier; ODOT State Maintenance Engineer Kevin Bloss; ODOT Beautification Coordinator Melody Johnson; Gail Ederer and Sonny Wilkinson, who was instrumental in recruiting participation from all 77 counties for the Great American Cleanup.

More than just highways, streets and roads were cleaned or beautified. Parks, nature trails, playgrounds, shoreline, wetlands and illegal dumpsites were also cleaned. The combined effort of these events has an
economic impact for Oklahoma that totals more than $6 million in money saved or costs avoided by state, county and municipal governments, nearly doubling the 2011 Great American Cleanup effort in Oklahoma, according to Keep Oklahoma Beautiful. This marks the fourth consecutive year that events were held in all 77
counties in Oklahoma for the Great American Cleanup. “Getting every county in the state to participate in the event is an ambitious undertaking and Oklahoma is one of the few states that gets statewide representation for this effort. ODOT’s partnership with Keep Oklahoma Beautiful has elevated the program leading to greater success which benefits all citizens with a more beautiful Oklahoma,” Gail Ederer, Executive Director of Keep Oklahoma Beautiful said.

Pride in McAlester was the standout organization at the 2012 Keep Oklahoma Beautiful Awards Banquet. They earned the Devon Energy Great American Cleanup Achievement Award. Devon Energy is the statewide sponsor and must evaluate each community’s contribution. Along with the award, Pride in McAlester received a $1,000 check, provided by Devon Energy, which they reinvested in further cleanup activities.

Many other communities had great contributions, as well. The Lawton Enhancement Trust Authority collected more than 100,000 pounds of litter and debris, that’s the weight equivalent of a fin whale. Main Street Pauls Valley collected more than 6,000 pounds of aluminum cans for recycling, that’s enough aluminum to make 136 four-cylinder engine blocks. Friends of Lake Overholser/Stinchcomb Wildlife Refuge cleaned more than 600 miles of nature and walking trails. Main Street Guymon collected 1,000 pounds of clothing for reuse. Keep Broken Arrow Beautiful cleaned and beautified 85 miles of streets, roads and highways.

An estimated 60,000 Oklahomans will join millions nationwide to participate in the Great American Cleanup™ (GAC) beginning March 1. This national program of Keep America Beautiful is sponsored in Oklahoma by Devon Energy and coordinated by Keep Oklahoma Beautiful (KOB).

Devon joined forces with KOB in 2012 as its first statewide sponsor of the GAC in Oklahoma. Not only does their sponsorship expand program reach and reward environmental excellence, it harnesses the power of local volunteers to create change and quality-of-life improvement in Oklahoma communities.

Devon’s sponsorship helps KOB offer registered groups across the state free supplies and support materials for their cleanup projects, plus provides grants to outstanding local projects. Last year’s GAC effort resulted in five million pounds of litter being collected and 420,000 pounds of various materials recycled, saving Oklahoma an estimated six million dollars!

”Devon’s partnership with Keep Oklahoma Beautiful on this project last year was very successful in creating more awareness and participation in cleanup efforts,” said Wendi Schuur, Devon’s director of Public and Community Affairs. “We’re excited to continue the work to reduce litter and improve the quality of life in our communities.”

One outstanding effort during the 2013 GAC will be recognized with the Devon GAC Achievement Award, including a $1,000 cash prize!

Businesses, groups or organizations wishing to participate in the GAC in Oklahoma must register with KOB. By doing so, groups will receive supplies, program materials provided through national sponsors and grant opportunities made possible by OGE Energy Corp. Grant Applications are due by February 15, 2013

The single, largest one-day cleanup event during the GAC in Oklahoma is the Oklahoma Department of Transportation’s “Trash-OFF.” The ODOT Trash-OFF is scheduled for April 20. Registration to participate in the event is free and can be completed online at gacinok.com or by calling 405.286.9141.

KOB’s Associate Director and Programs Manager Sonny Wilkinson said this program has benefits that last long after the program has ended.

“The GAC in Oklahoma is a great starting point for organizations to bring their communities together,” Wilkinson said. “Cleanup events like these will usually lead to year round commitments that transform Oklahoma and leave its citizens feeling proud of our state.”

Keep Oklahoma Beautiful is a statewide nonprofit with a mission to encourage, facilitate and recognize grassroots efforts that will improve the aesthetic, environmental and sustainable quality of life in Oklahoma. You can learn more about the organization by visiting keepoklahomabeautiful.com

For more information, or for a photo from the 2012 GAC effort, contact:

Sonny Wilkinson, Associate Director/ Projects Manager

W: www.keepoklahomabeautiful.com

E: sonny@keepoklahomabeautiful.com

P: 405.286.9141

Keep Oklahoma Beautiful is pleased to announce this year's Board Commendation Award Winners and Finalists for the Environmental Excellence Competition. Finalists were honored and winners announced during the 22nd Annual Environmental Excellence Celebration on November 1, 2012 at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. For more information regarding this inspirational and exciting evening, click here.

• City of Moore
  

• Keep Broken Arrow Beautiful

• University of Central Oklahoma
• City of Okmulgee
• Summit Christian Academy

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Keep Oklahoma Beautiful is pleased to announce this year's Board Commendation Award Winners and Finalists for the Environmental Excellence Competition. Finalists will be honored and winners announced during the 22nd Annual Environmental Excellence Celebration on November 1, 2012 at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. For more information regarding this inspirational and exciting evening, click here.

<-- Go Back

• Business
• Collegiate Effort
• K-12 Educators & Institutions
• KOB Youth Awards
• Government Programs
• Nonprofit Organizations
• Affiliate Champion

So long and good luck to our dear Grace Hancock (right), who is moving to Washington, D.C. to start a new chapter in her life. After four memorable and successful years here, Grace’s final day in the KOB office will be August 22.
Hired to follow in those figuratively large footsteps is Jordan Scott (left). The two were photographed in the office on Jordan’s first day of training to be the new KOB Office Administrator.
Jordan is a 2012 graduate of the University of Central Oklahoma where she earned a B.A. degree in Communication with a focus on Public Relations. She is a multi-talented, multi-tasking self starter with a friendly and creative personality.
Keep Oklahoma Beautiful happily welcomes Jordan to the team and we know you will too.....even as we sadly say so long to Grace. Her new vistas are far away but just an email, a phone call or a skype away. Best wishes GRACE!

Jordan Scott (L) begins a two-week training period to assume the position of Office Administrator at Keep Oklahoma Beautiful. KOB staff, board members and statewide KOB friends and volunteers wish Grace Hancock (R) a very fond farewell with gratitude for a job extremely well done.

KOB INTERN IS A DESIGNING WOMAN

Jennifer Pham has been working with the KOB staff as a part time intern since June 1 of this year.  Currently a senior at the University of Oklahoma School of Architecture, Jennifer will graduate in May 2013 with her BS degree in Environmental Design.

"As an intern at KOB, I've been learning a lot about Oklahoma and about the people who volunteer across the state to make improvements to their environments," said Jennifer.  "I'm also learning how communities work together for an environmental goal - something that will instruct my future work with communities."

As a dream job, Jennifer wants to work for an architect firm that designs for low income families.  "My designer inspiration has always been Tadao Ando, of Japan, who uses basic materials to produce simple yet elegant designs," she said.

Jennifer is looking forward to the KOB Awards Celebration Banquet on November 1, where, as she notes, "I can actually meet in person the great volunteers from across the state, from whom I've been learning so much."

Note from the executive director:  Jennifer has been of great assistance to the KOB staff by  donating an extra set of hands, part time, to the challenge of carrying out the mission of Keep Oklahoma Beautiful.

Oklahoma City - Heather Lytle, a native Oklahoman and successful business development strategist, has been elected President of the Keep Oklahoma Beautiful board of directors effective July 1, 2012.

Heather holds a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from University of Central Oklahoma and a MBA in Leadership and Organizational Development from Oklahoma Christian University. With a love of community, Heather also serves as an incorporating member of the Help Hailey Foundation. She has been named a 20 Under 40 by the Business Times and awarded a 40 under 40 by OKC Biz Magazine. With a passion for education and technology, Lytle serves as Oklahoma Business Developer for the education arm of the Washington Post Company. She also maintains an active client base through her consulting practice.

“Because I was born and raised in Oklahoma and am thrilled to be raising my family here, I can’t imagine being involved in a more important organization than Keep Oklahoma Beautiful. KOB programs and initiatives throughout the state have direct impact on our communities and citizens. I’m proud of what KOB does and I’m excited for all that is to come in the next year,” Heather said.

Keep Oklahoma Beautiful is a statewide 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation with a mission to encourage, promote and recognize efforts that will improve the environmental, aesthetic and sustainable quality of life in Oklahoma.

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• Business
• Collegiate Effort
• K-12 Educators & Institutions
• KOB Youth Awards
• Government Programs
• Nonprofit Organizations
• Affiliate Champion
• Lifetime Achievement

Oklahoma City - Keep Oklahoma Beautiful is pleased to announce that Keep Enid Beautiful, Inc. has become the newest member of the growing Keep Oklahoma Beautiful Affiliate Network; a group of nonprofit organizations dedicated to the beautification, greening and environmental improvement in their respective communities across the state.

Gail Ingram Ederer, KOB executive director, made the announcement stating, “Our newest Affiliate has made a great start on its plan to enhance Enid’s appearance and thereby prospects for economic growth.”

“This fired-up group has nearly finished its first landscaping project and is on the lookout for more and it's just what we love to see,” she said. “Enid is lucky to have such dedicated volunteers willing to put in the hard work.”

Enid resident Suzy Meibergen chairs the newly formed group and has been working on the organization for about a year, ever since attending a workshop sponsored by Keep Oklahoma Beautiful in Oklahoma City.  She met other affiliates at the meeting and was inspired to make a start in Enid.

Keep Enid Beautiful is led by seven board members who meet once a month to stay on track for their ambitious plans for the city. In July, Meibergen and perhaps other KEB board members will attend the KOB Affiliate Forum again in Oklahoma City - this time, Suzy will attend as a fully official affiliate!  WELCOME TO ENID.

The video clip will be shown at various KOB events throughout the year, and available on a DVD to teachers who wish to show it in their classrooms for anti-litter education.

If you would like to request a DVD, contact our office at 405-286-9141, or Sonny Wilkinson at sonny@keepoklahomabeautiful.com.

The new system will have enough lines to accommodate a growing staff, an intercom will make conversations within the office easier (no more yelling down the hall!) and the capability for conferencing phone calls will provide us a more efficient way to communicate with our growing affiliate network and program participants.

We are grateful for this support from the Kirkpatrick Family Fund and for their ability to see this kind of need as truly necessary in the operation of a statewide nonprofit.  THANK YOU!

TROY-BILT®, a national sponsor of the Great American Cleanup™ (GAC), donated eight pieces of lawn equipment to Keep Oklahoma Beautiful for use during the GAC in Oklahoma for the second consecutive year. KOB hosted an essay contest, inviting GAC participants to share how the backpack leaf blowers and string trimmers would specifically benefit their project and community.

Out of a multitude of entries, a panel of judges chose 8 winners who received their equipment in time for the spring cleanups around the state. The winners are:

• Warner Chamber of Commerce
• Okmulgee Chamber of Commerce and Main Street
• City of Maud
• Braman American Legion Post 259
• City of Thomas/Thomas Area Chamber of Commerce
• Town of Rentiesville
• Gettin’ Home, LLC - Helena
• Keep Broken Arrow Beautiful

Congratulations to the winners, and thank you TROY-BILT® for your generosity!

The video clip will be shown at various KOB events throughout the year, and available on a DVD to teachers who wish to show it in their classrooms for anti-litter education.

If you would like to request a DVD, contact our office at 405-286-9141, or Sonny Wilkinson at sonny@keepoklahomabeautiful.com.

KOB is proud to announce the winners of the StartUP Grants and Growth Grants,, both sponsored by OGE Energy Corp., for the 2012 Great American Cleanup™ in Oklahoma

The OGE StartUP Grants are awarded to 1st or 2nd year participants in the Great American Cleanup™ in Oklahoma, and are worth $200.

The winners are:

• OHCE Busy Bees/ Town of Bennington
• City of Geronimo
• Minco Chamber of Commerce
• Braman American Legion Post 259
• OSU-OKC GoGreen
• Main Street Guymon
• South Western Oklahoma Development Authority

The OGE Growth Grants are a new addition to the GAC this year, and are awarded to groups who are in their third or more year of participation, worth $300.

The winners are:

• Keep Broken Arrow Beautiful
• Greater Tenkiller Area Association
• Pride in McAlester
• Friends of Lake Overholser/Stinchcomb Wildlife Refuge
• Team Up to Clean Up - Eufaula
• Oklahoma Master Naturalists
• Troop 222, Girl Scouts of Western Oklahoma
• Oklahoma Route 66 Association
• Ardmore Beautification Council
• Fort Sill Apache Tribe Environmental Program
• Delaware Nation Environmental Programs

Warren CAT generously donated the two amazing hospitality packages. Each included admission for two for three days of racing at Daytona FL, hotel accommodations at the Marriott in Lake Mary for three nights,  opportunity to watch the race from the Caterpillar Hospitality Suite, opportunity to meet various Nascar professionals, opportunity to participate in Pit Road Tours, and admission to the Daytona FanZone. The estimated value for each Daytona 500 hospitality package is $3,500.

Tillison and Beard each entered the Keep Oklahoma Beautiful Daytona 500 Raffle in November, and the raffle results were announced at KOB’s 21st Annual Environmental Excellence Awards Banquet.

Thanks to Warren CAT and congratulations to Thomas Tillison and Gordon Beard!

Keep Oklahoma Beautiful is honored to be named the 5% recipient of  sales in this spring’s Whole Foods 5% Days on Wednesday, April 18th at both the Tulsa location (1401 E. 41st St) and the new Oklahoma City location (6001 N. Western Ave).

Save your grocery shopping for Wednesday, April 18th and support Keep Oklahoma Beautiful and the environment by purchasing local and organic products at the Whole Foods Markets in Tulsa and Oklahoma City.

“Our team members are part of the local community and they are passionate about supporting the local causes that are important to our shoppers and neighbors...Several times a year, our stores hold community giving days (otherwise known as ‘5% Days’) where five percent of that day’s net sales are donated to a local nonprofit or educational organization. The groups that benefit are as varied as the communities themselves,” Tulsa location website.

Keep Oklahoma Beautiful also will be  taking part in each store’s Earth Fest Celebration.  The dates are:  in OKC on April 14th (more info here) and in Tulsa on April 21st (more info here). Drop by and say hello!