Cox and The Trust for Public Land Announce Alice Apkarian as Orange County's 2013 Cox Conserves Hero

Funds donated to local environmental nonprofits

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Sep 17, 2013, 12:00 ET

ORANGE COUNTY, Calif., Sept. 17, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Cox Communications and The Trust for Public Land announced that Alice Apkarian has been selected as Orange County's 2013 Cox Conserves Hero. The announcement was made during a special presentation at the Clean Tech OC conference.

Sponsored locally by Clean Tech OC and media partner KX 93.5, Cox Conserves Heroes honors volunteers who are creating, preserving or enhancing outdoor spaces. The finalists were chosen by a judging panel of local environmental leaders, and the winner was selected through online public voting.

First Place Winner:

As Alice Apkarian's nonprofit of choice, the Environmental Nature Center will receive $5,000, promotion through on-air public service announcements and 20 volunteer hours donated by Cox employees. Apkarian has volunteered weekly for the past five years as a museum docent at the Environmental Nature Center, helping to increase the community's knowledge, understanding and appreciation of the natural world. She volunteers mostly "behind the scenes," supporting staff as they educate more than 18,000 students who visit the center each year.

Second Place Winner:

Peter Gartner's nonprofit of choice, Coastkeeper Garden, will receive $2,500. Gartner has volunteered at a local 2.5-acre, drought‐tolerant demonstration garden at Santiago Canyon College since the garden opened in 2008. He is a hands-on volunteer who provides leadership, training and guidance to the countless other volunteers who come to the garden.

Third Place Winner:

Jennifer Patalsky's nonprofit of choice, Naturalist for You, will receive $1,000. Patalsky originally volunteered to help promote nature walks on Facebook, but her volunteerism has spread to organizing weekly environmental education tours, fundraising events, and litter and graffiti removal to help preserve the Santa Ana Mountains.

Orange County's 2012 Cox Conserves Hero was Michael Beanan, whose nonprofit of choice was the Laguna Bluebelt Coalition.

The Cox Conserves Heroes program was created in 2008 through a partnership between The Trust for Public Land and Cox Enterprises, the parent company of Cox Communications, to honor everyday volunteers. The program also runs in Arizona, Atlanta, Louisiana, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Barbara and Virginia. More than $300,000 has been donated to local nonprofits and more than 100 volunteers have been honored through the Cox Conserves Heroes program.

For more information, visit CoxConservesHeroes.com or find us on Facebook.

Social Media: #CoxConservesHeroes and #CoxConservesHero

About Cox Conserves

Launched in 2007 by Chairman Jim Kennedy, Cox Conserves is Cox Enterprises' national sustainability program. Cox Conserves focuses on reducing waste and energy consumption, as well as conserving water. The program engages each of the company's major subsidiaries (Cox Communications, Manheim, Cox Media Group and AutoTrader.com) and encourages Cox Enterprises' 50,000 employees and their families to engage in eco-friendly practices.

About Cox Communications

Cox Communications is a broadband communications and entertainment company, providing advanced digital video, Internet and telephone services over its own nationwide IP network. The third-largest U.S. cable TV company, Cox serves approximately 6 million residences and businesses. Cox Business is a facilities-based provider of voice, video and data solutions for commercial customers, and Cox Media is a full-service provider of national and local cable spot and new media advertising.

Cox is known for its pioneering efforts in cable telephone and commercial services, industry-leading customer care and its outstanding workplaces. For seven years, Cox has been recognized as the top operator for women by Women in Cable Telecommunications; Cox has ranked among DiversityInc's Top 50 Companies for Diversity eight times, including the last seven years. More information about Cox Communications, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cox Enterprises, is available at www.cox.com and www.coxmedia.com.

About The Trust for Public Land

Founded in 1972, The Trust for Public Land is the leading nonprofit working to conserve land for people. Operating from more than 30 offices nationwide, The Trust for Public Land has protected more than three million acres from the inner city to the wilderness and helped generate more than $34 billion in public funds for conservation. Nearly ten million people live within a ten-minute walk of a Trust for Public Land park, garden, or natural area, and millions more visit these sites every year. Learn more at tpl.org

SOURCE Cox Communications