Finalists Named for Virginia's 2016 Cox Conserves Heroes Program, Public Asked to Vote

Program to donate $20,000 to environmental nonprofits in Virginia

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May 31, 2016, 09:00 ET

CHESAPEAKE, Va., May 31, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Cox Communications and The Trust for Public Land are recognizing volunteers who are creating, preserving or enhancing shared outdoor spaces. Finalists for Virginia's Cox Conserves Heroes program were announced today, and the public is being asked to vote now through June 17th. To vote, visit CoxConservesHeroes.com and select the Virginia area.

A total of $20,000 will be donated to local environmental nonprofits on behalf of the three finalists, who were selected to represent the Fairfax County/Fredericksburg, Hampton Roads and Roanoke areas and compete for Virginia's Cox Conserves Hero title.

Finalists have already secured a $5,000 donation for their environmental nonprofits of choice and are now competing for an additional $5,000 – bringing the total award to $10,000 for the winner's nonprofit of choice. The winner will be chosen through an online public vote.

Virginia's 2016 Cox Conserves Heroes Finalists
Fairfax County/Fredericksburg: Alan Ford is passionate about the environment and local habitats. He educates the public about native and invasive plants and the importance of watershed management. Ford has volunteered thousands of hours across multiple environmental organizations to protect and restore the environment. His environmental nonprofit of choice is the Potowmack Chapter of the Virginia Native Plant Society.

Hampton Roads: Bonnie Kersta travels the span of Virginia's coastline to promote oyster gardening. Oysters are one of the Bay's best natural filters, and Kersta is restoring their declining population and planting underwater grasses. She also removes litter along the Bay's shores. Her work creates fish habitats, improves water quality and protects the shoreline. Her environmental nonprofit of choice is the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.

Roanoke: Ron McCorkle is creating healthier lifestyles through his passion for urban agriculture and cycling. He successfully advocated for Roanoke's public park space to be used for urban agriculture. McCorkle's efforts to increase greenway connectivity helped Roanoke obtain the coveted designation of "Bicycle Friendly Community" from the League of American Bicyclists. His environmental nonprofit of choice is the Roanoke Community Garden Association.

Heidi Ketler, Brian Batteiger, Bill Gordge, Anne Little and Chris Clifford are previous recipients of Virginia's Cox Conserves Heroes award.

As either a finalist or winner's nonprofit of choice, the following Virginia organizations have also received financial support from the Cox Conserves Heroes program: Blue Ridge Land Conservancy, Downtown Greens Friends of Green Spring Gardens, Friends of Norfolk's Environment, Herndon Environmental Network, Lynnhaven River Now, Newport News Green Foundation, Park Partners, Pathfinders for Greenways, Roanoke Valley Chapter of FRIENDS of the Blue Ridge Parkway, South Norfolk Neighborhood Watch, Tree Fredericksburg, Virginia Beach Clean Community Commission, Virginia Beach Parks, VB Clean Community Volunteers and Recreation Foundation and Virginia Living Museum.

Cox Conserves Heroes was created through a partnership between The Trust for Public Land and Cox Enterprises, the parent company of Cox Communications, to honor local environmental volunteers.

Through the national Cox Conserves Heroes program, more than $600,000 has been donated to environmental nonprofits and more than 150 volunteers have been honored. Cox Conserves Heroes also takes place in Arizona, California, Georgia, Florida, Louisiana, Massachusetts 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 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 broadband, voice and commercial services, industry-leading customer care and its outstanding workplaces. For eight 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 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' 55,000 employees and their families to engage in eco-friendly practices.

SOURCE Cox Communications