Officials from Keep Georgia Beautiful and Keep America Beautiful, Inc., welcomed Cherokee County to its expanding community-based Network of Affiliates with the certification of Keep Cherokee Beautiful.
“The re-establishing of the Keep Cherokee Beautiful program over the past two years has been a great success,” said Cherokee County District 3 Commissioner Benny Carter. “This affiliation with Keep Georgia Beautiful and Keep American Beautiful will allow us to grow and expand our programs."
After a year of preparation, KCB finalized its affiliate certification at a recognition ceremony held on Nov. 15 at the Cherokee County Board of Commissioners work session. The affiliation process included the formation of a community team, attendance to numerous training events and the development of an action plan.
“I want to thank all of our volunteers for their efforts this past year,” said KCB Chief Executive Officer Mark Preetorius. “I would also like to thank Georgia Power and Waste Management for the donations they made that helped get this organization off the ground.”
In attaining the certification, Keep Cherokee Beautiful joins more than 70 local affiliates across Georgia. In addition, KCB will join more than 700 KAB affiliates, including 26 state affiliates, and several international affiliates.
“We are excited about this next step in the growth of Keep Cherokee Beautiful,” said Cherokee County Community Services Agency Director Bryan Reynolds. “It will open up new opportunities for training and resources including grant opportunities which will allow us to further our mission.”
Currently, Keep Cherokee Beautiful works to reduce littering through programs like Adopt-a-Mile, Community Cleanups and supporting electronics recycling events, as well as providing recycling education through the organization’s monthly electronic newsletter.
In addition to receiving its program affiliation, KCB also recognized several members with awards that included Lisa Johnson who received the Outstanding Volunteer award, as well as the BridgeMill Homeowners Association, which received the award for Outstanding Adopt-A-Mile Partner.
For additional information on the KCB program, please visit cherokeega.com/Recycling-Center/Keep-Cherokee-Beautiful or email cleancherokee@gmail.com.
