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Just Desserts Award Ceremony

COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERING DOES PAY OFF

Keep Cincinnati Beautiful Hosted Event Honoring Outstanding Communities

(CINCINNATI ,OH) November 13, 2008. Keep Cincinnati Beautiful honored volunteers and community leaders on Thursday night at the Just Desserts Ceremony sponsored by United Dairy Farmers.  Awards were presented to groups and individuals who have dedicated their time to serve their community. 

Former stand up comedian and WCPO reporter Michael Flannery served as the Master of Ceremonies at the H. J. Benken Florist Greenhouse patio in Silverton. The following dignitaries presented awards: County Commissioner David Pepper, Council Member Cecil Thomas, Council Member Chris Bortz, Council Member Chris Monzel and Council Member Leslie Ghiz.

THE EVENING’S STAR WINNERS

Clifton Town Meeting was awarded the Large Project first place for their “Clifton Community Barn”.  Volunteers in the Avondale/Clifton area may have noticed a drastic transformation at the intersection of Vine St. and Glenmary, near the Cincinnati Zoo. This property, adjacent to the historical City Barn where horse-drawn trolleys were once housed, has recently become an urban oasis, complete with multi-season landscaping, a community garden, benches, and a butterfly garden. There is now also a successful children’s summer program on the property—Summer Sprouts.

East Price Hill Improvement Association was given the top award for its outstanding results during the Great American Cleanup. 75 volunteers gathered in East Price Hill to exercise their community pride and clean up their neighborhood collecting 175 bags of litter and nearly a ton of large trash—mattresses, box springs, sofas, loveseats, filing cabinets and dressers. They also collected and recycled 45 tires and planted 15 flats of flowers.

Ongoing Project: The First Place went to the West McMicken Improvement Association for their “Lower Straight Street Improvement Project.”  Begun in 2004, this project of the West McMicken Improvement Association has been transforming an overgrown eyesore to a beautiful asset to the community. Once a haven for unlawful activities, the corner of Straight Street and W. McMicken Ave has been stripped of its former mess and, with the help of UC students and the Cincinnati Parks, it has been completely re-landscaped. The area now stands as a beacon of beauty, safety, and community pride.

Block Watch 45223 from Northside won the Mini-Project category for their “Painted Plywood Windows” initiative. The group transformed two ugly, abandoned eye-sores into works of art. One of the properties has since been purchased by an investor with plans to renovate the building.

The annual “Iron Eyes Cody” Award is awarded to individuals, companies or agencies that go above and beyond to help promote a clean and beautiful Cincinnati. This year Keep Cincinnati Beautiful honored Give Back Cincinnati for their efforts on community improvement. 

Keep Cincinnati Beautiful is a not for profit organization educating and encouraging individuals to take greater responsibility for improving their community environments

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