Cox Announces Finalists for Louisiana's 2016 Cox Conserves Heroes Awards Program

Public asked to vote; $20,000 to be donated to environmental nonprofits

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Aug 31, 2016, 10:00 ET

BATON ROUGE, La., Aug. 31, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Cox Communications, in partnership with The Trust for Public Land, today announced Barrett Kennedy, Rory McCracken and Libby Nehrbass as the finalists for Louisiana's 2016 Cox Conserves Heroes program. Voting is open through September 21 at CoxConservesHeroes.com.

The program honors volunteers in Cox's service areas in Acadiana, Baton Rouge and New Orleans who are creating, preserving or enhancing outdoor spaces. A total of $20,000 will be donated to environmental nonprofits on behalf of the winner and finalists.

Baton Rouge's Barrett Kennedy comes from a family with a strong commitment to community service. He is a state advocate for Leave No Trace Behind, a group that teaches people how to enjoy the outdoors responsibly. Through this work, he teaches people of all ages, particularly children, the importance of respecting their surroundings and preserving public land. His nonprofit of choice is The Teche Project.

Baton Rouge's Rory McCracken is passionate about Louisiana's gulf and its marine life. At only 17, he's spent nearly half his life leading the charge to conserve and protect. He's designed t-shirts and written books to raise awareness, as well as donated the proceeds to help benefit restoration and conservation efforts. One beneficiary of his support is Audubon Louisiana's Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Rescue program. His nonprofit of choice is Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF).

Lafayette's Libby Nehrbass is an advocate for coastal restoration. She's participated in more than 30 volunteer events and volunteered more than 240 hours to help plant dune grass, participate in marsh plantings and support forest restorations. She travels across the state to the different types of coastal habitats that all require different methods of restoration. She's personally planted more than 10,000 plugs of dune grass in Cameron Parish. Her nonprofit of choice is Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana.

Patrick Armstrong, Matt Thomas, Bart Everson and Jenga Mwendo are Louisiana's previous Cox Conserves Heroes. Combined these volunteers have removed nearly 10 tons of litter from New Orleans' public outdoor spaces, preserved Baton Rouge's lake system, created a non-motorized transportation trail and transformed an overgrown lot into a beautiful centerpiece for the community.

The Cox Conserves Heroes program was created through a partnership between The Trust for Public Land and Cox Enterprises, the parent company of Cox Communications. Cox Conserves Heroes takes place in Arizona, California, Georgia, Florida, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Virginia and Washington.

For more information, visit CoxConservesHeroes.com or Facebook.

Social Media: #CoxConservesHeroes and #CoxConservesHero

About Cox Communications:
Cox Communications is a broadband communications and entertainment company, providing advanced digital video, Internet, telephone and home security and automation 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 digital media advertising. Cox is known for its pioneering efforts in cable telephone and commercial services, industry-leading customer care and its outstanding workplaces. For nine 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 11 times. 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:
The Trust for Public Land creates parks and protects land for people, ensuring healthy, livable communities for generations to come. Millions of people live within a one-half mile walk of a Trust for Public Land park, garden, or natural area, and millions more visit these sites every year. To support The Trust for Public Land and share why nature matters to you, visit http://www.tpl.org.

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, Cox Automotive and Cox Media Group) and encourages Cox Enterprises' 60,000 employees and their families to engage in eco-friendly practices.

SOURCE Cox Communications