FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Diane C. Birdwell @512-478-8813
October 25, 2001

KEEP TEXAS BEAUTIFUL ANNOUNCES HEB ENVIRONMENTAL EXCELLENCE GRANTS
HEB funds environmental project in Odessa!

Austin, Texas - Who Keeps Texas Beautiful? HEB and Odessa do. As the largest independently owned grocery chain in the United States, HEB joined with Keep Texas Beautiful to award funding to 16 Texas communities for outstanding grassroots environmental programs. The grants are being announced in conjunction with Make a Difference Day, which is Saturday, October 27, 2001.

Keep Odessa Beautiful (KOB) is one of the winning HEB communities. The $250 grant will fund KOB's Texas Recycles Day event: the Odessa Recycle Time Machine, Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day and Compost Training Day. This fun-filled day will bring all citizens of the Permian Basin the perfect chance to recycle standard items such as aluminum cans and scrap, newspapers, junk mail, phone books, and plastic; the day will also provide the chance to recycle "white goods"-that's old ovens, washing machines, water heaters, and the like. The household hazardous waste collection will take items including cleaning products, fertilizers, automotive fluids, and batteries. The Permian Basin Master Gardeners will provide training on tree and plant care, and water-wise landscaping. Participants in KOB's Texas Recycles Day event can register to win many prizes: $100 and $200 gift certificates to HEB, $100 and $200 gift certificates to the Home Depot, free kids tattoos and free recycling literature.

"Keep Texas Beautiful is very fortunate to have a partner as environmentally proactive as HEB is," said Bill Rogers, President of Keep Texas Beautiful. "HEB has a longstanding reputation of adopting many voluntary measures to save energy and water, prevent pollution, and reduce waste within its facilities. Now they've reached out to make an environmental commitment to the grassroots efforts of communities in Texas."

Reagan Wagner, Environmental Affairs Project Leader with HEB, commented on the importance of working with environmental grassroots efforts. "If we're going to make a positive difference in our environment, everyone needs to do their part, " he said. "Through this grant program with Keep Texas Beautiful, we're able to provide much needed funds to communities so they can create or expand their local environmental programs."

Keep Texas Beautiful, the nonprofit state affiliate of Keep America Beautiful, strives to empower Texans through education to take responsibility for enhancing their community environment. KTB works with volunteers, elected officials, businesses and state and federal agencies to ensure that every Texan has the opportunity to take individual responsibility for making Texas the cleanest, most beautiful state in the nation. For more information on programs and events, call 1-800-CLEAN-TX.