NASHVILLE ONE OF 10 U.S. CITIES SELECTED FOR KEEP AMERICA BEAUTIFUL ‘NATIONAL DAY OF ACTION’ ON APRIL 28

Scores of volunteers needed for community projects planned throughout Davidson County

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Keep America Beautiful (KAB) has declared Saturday, April 28, as its first-ever “National Day of Action” for the country’s largest community improvement effort spotlighting 10 cities, including Metro Nashville.

Due to an outstanding record of volunteer engagement year after year, Metro Beautification and Environment Commission (MBEC) -- the KAB affiliate for Davidson County – was chosen as a “Featured Affiliate” and will represent the state of Tennessee for the event.  Other locations selected were Oakland, Calif.; Los Angeles; Cocoa, Fla.; Indianapolis, Ind.; Cobb County, Ga.; Hampton Roads, Va.; Houston, Texas; Shreveport, La.; and Philadelphia.

“We are excited to represent all the terrific affiliates across our great state, and hope to make Tennessee proud,” Veronica Frazier, Metro Beautification & Environment Commission Director, said.  “Our commissioners are hard at work planning multiple clean up projects in communities all over Nashville, and our goal is to recruit 800 volunteers to make this National Day of Action successful. We invite anyone who wants to help to come out on April 28^th and join this important volunteer effort.”

Hickory Hollow Mall in Antioch will be the staging area for volunteers to sign in and get their assignments for the day.  In addition, Creative Recycling and MBEC will host an E-Waste Drop Off, Iron Mountain will sponsor a paper shredding event and the Metro Nashville Police Department will host a Pharmaceutical Drop-off at the Mall.  Volunteers are needed to assist with a variety of community projects that day, including:  

·         Riverside Drive Beautification Project & Veterans War Memorial Monument to be refurbished, cleaned and re-dedicated by area veterans groups with a planting project around the memorial plaque.

·         Community Garden - Monroe Street off Rosa Parks Blvd  

·         Community Garden - Mt. Lebanon Missionary Baptist Church,

222 Franklin Limestone Road

.  Partnerships for both gardens will be the Corinthian Missionary Baptist Church, First Unitarian Universalist Church, Nashville City Missionary Baptist District Association, BURNT, Vanderbilt University, Metro Councilmember Edith Langster, Mt. Lebanon Missionary Baptist Church and Givens Community Market.  Fruit trees to be planted and compost bins donated by Metro Beautification will be installed on site.  Continuing education on composting will be provided by the Metro Beautification staff.

·         Lakeview Design Center, 455 Rural Hill Rd.  Landscaping update on school campus. Project is to weed, plant and mulch.

·         JFK Middle School, 2087 Hobson Pike.  Project is to weed, plant and mulch, and install stone walking path for students.  Rework relaxation area in school courtyard by adding water plants.

·         Bell Road @ Cane Ridge Rd/Target Dr (in front of Shoney's, Carnival Kia, IHOP, Steak 'N Shake) TDOT and Public Works coordinating project to remove litter, overgrown weeds and shrubbery, and repair fence near I-24 ramps.

·         North Nashville Great American Cleanup National Day of Action - District 21. Join Fisk University students conducting litter pickup along

Buchanan St

, D. B Todd, 18th Av N, 14th Av N and adjoining alleys.

·         Calumet Subdivision Great American Cleanup National Day of Action - District 33. Litter pickup.

·         3rd Annual Woodbine Spring Clean Great American Cleanup National Day of Action - District 16.  Litter pickup.

·         Litter pickup and illegal sign removal sites:  Mt. View Rd/Bell Rd, near Kroger and Mazda Dealership; Mt. View Rd/Old Hickory Bv, off Bell Rd; Hickory Hollow Parkway/Bell Rd; Bell Rd to Nolensville Rd; Ocala to Nolensville Rd; Benzing Rd; Haywood Lane; Linbar Dr; Antioch Pk; Haywood Ln, near exit ramp 57, off I-24  

·         E-Waste Collection by Creative Recycling at Hickory Hollow Mall.

·         Paper Shred Collection by Iron Mountain at Hickory Hollow Mall

·         Pharmaceutical Drop-off by the Metro Nashville Police Department

·         TROY-BILT – Keep America Beautiful National Sponsor; Randy Schon will have a tent at Hickory Hollow Mall to display an assortment of Troy-Bilt products and Great Gardens brochures.  A drawing will be held for a TB60AF battery powered trimmer.

To volunteer or learn more about Nashville’s National Day of Action event, call Vickie Ingram, Metro Beautification at 862-8418 or visit www.nashville.gov/pw .