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 Sanger!

Austin, Texas - Who Keeps Texas Beautiful? HEB and Sanger 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 Sanger Beautiful (KSB) is one of the winning HEB communities. The $250 grant will fund the distribution of native wildflower seed packets to Sanger students. The flowers will be planted primarily along rights-of-way and Ray Roberts Lake. The 1500 seed packets along with a Wildflower Planting Video for grade school, and an informative handout for each student will actively involve 1700 students, parents, teachers, seniors and volunteers. In addition to being beautiful to look at, perennial wildflowers are drought resistant, low maintenance, and require little mowing. KSB hopes that, through this project, kindergarten through eighth grade students will learn the importance of natural beauty and will want to make a difference in their surroundings.

"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.