4.22.2008 - 08:50am ET

(CSRwire) SPRINGFIELD, MA - April, 22, 2008 - The CSRwire team will be joining the national nonprofit Keep America Beautiful (KAB) in the Great American Cleanup: their national campaign for a cleaner, greener America. CSRwire, together with thousands of volunteers across the nation, will be cleaning dirty streets, waterways and public spaces by removing litter and illegal dump sites, greening up parks, schoolyards and other public spaces, holding recycling drives, hosting educational events, painting-out graffiti, and more.

As the global leader in Corporate Social Responsibility news, CSRwire's local volunteering efforts are another way to support its overall mission.

"Everyday, our mission is to raise awareness that good corporate citizenship attracts the best talent, patient capital and innovative partnerships," says CSRwire President Joe Sibilia. "Volunteerism benefits society and demonstrates that unselfish behavior feeds the soul."

The clean-up effort holds special meaning for the staff at CSRwire, whose office in Springfield, Massachusetts is on a chemically contaminated street known as Gasoline Alley. The building has been part of a revitalization effort sponsored by the initiatives of CSRwire and its parent company Meadowbrook Lane Capital.

"I think it's fair to say that all of us at CSRwire have become very fond of the location in which we work," says Guinevere Griswold, community outreach director. "Joe's work at beautifying and restoring the property here is motivating and really shows the potential that ANY street in Springfield has. Plus, volunteering as a group enables us to have a great time while doing something great for the community. Our group has a great time getting together for any purpose!"

The national Great American Cleanup takes place from March 1-May 31 annually. This year, 3 million volunteers are expected to participate in 30,000 community improvement activities and educational workshops happening in over 17,000 communities nationwide.

"Finding ways to improve the nation's communities - and our overall environment - is not only one of Keep America Beautiful's main objectives, but it's also a topic that is increasingly top-of-mind with most Americans," said Matthew McKenna, president of Keep America Beautiful. "In its 24th year, the Great American Cleanup continues to be a vehicle for volunteers across the country, driving them to take a hands-on approach to sustainability by conducting cleanups, recycling drives, tree and flower plantings and other community improvement activities."

In 2007, cleanup efforts resulted in 200 million pounds of litter and debris removed from America's landscape, including 3,500 illegal dump sites and over 10,000 abandoned vehicles. Participants planted 4.6 million trees, flowers and bulbs, and collected over 2.2 million tires, 22.4 million pounds of aluminum and steel, 592,000 pounds of wireless phones and related equipment, and over 70.6 million PET bottles for recycling. Great American Cleanup events improved over 178,000 miles of roadway (more than seven times around the world), 121,000 acres of parks and public lands, 7,000 miles of rivers, lakes and shorelines, and 3,900 miles of hiking, biking and nature trails - equal to a winding trail stretching from Key West, Fla., to Seattle.

America's leading companies, and members of CSRwire support this campaign for a cleaner, greener America. The National Sponsors of the 2008 Great American Cleanup are: American Honda Motor Co., Inc., The Dow Chemical Company, Firestone Complete Auto Care(TM) and Tires Plus(TM), GLAD(R) ForceFlex Trash Bags, Pepsi-Cola Company, Sam's Club(R), The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company, Sprint Foundation, Troy-Bilt(R) Lawn and Garden Equipment, Waste Management, Inc. and the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company; Educational Partners: ReCellular, Inc. and Rubber Manufacturers Association.

About Keep America Beautiful, Inc.

Keep America Beautiful, Inc., established in 1953, is the nation's largest volunteer-based community action and education organization. This national nonprofit forms public-private partnerships and programs that engage individuals to take greater responsibility for improving their community environments. The Great American Cleanup is one of its many programs that encourage people to care for communities through volunteer participation. To join the Great American Cleanup and campaign for a cleaner, greener America visit www.kab.org.

About CSRwire.com

CSRwire is the leading source of corporate social responsibility and sustainability news, reports and information. CSRwire members are companies and NGOs, agencies and organizations interested in communicating their corporate citizenship, sustainability, and socially responsible initiatives to a global audience through CSRwire's syndication network and weekly News Alerts. CSRwire content covers issues of Diversity, Philanthropy, Socially Responsible Investing (SRI) Environment, Human Rights, Workplace Issues, Business Ethics, Community Development and Corporate Governance.

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