FOX25 and The Trust for Public Land Name Rocky Morrison as Boston's 2015 Cox Conserves Hero

BOSTON, Oct. 16, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- FOX25 and The Trust for Public Land today named Rocky Morrison as Boston's 2015 Cox Conserves Hero. Morrison's nonprofit of choice, the Clean River Project, will receive $10,000 on his behalf. The three finalists were chosen by a judging panel and then competed in an online public vote to be named Boston's Cox Conserves Hero.

Morrison was born and raised on the Merrimack River and couldn't bear to see the Methuen shoreline he played on as a kid littered with debris. Ten years ago he founded the Clean River Project, a volunteer initiative that has since removed thousands of tires, 56 cars and tons of recyclable materials from the Merrimack. The debris is collected in booms along the river, then removed and sorted for recycling. Today, residents are enjoying a cleaner river where nesting eagles, heron and fish are thriving.

The two runners-up each receive $5,000 for their nonprofits of choice. Martha McDonough selected Neponset River Watershed Association, and Daniel Schenk chose Mass Audubon's Boston Nature Center.

Boston's Cox Conserves Heroes program is sponsored locally by Warrendale Appliance.

The national Cox Conserves Heroes program was created in 2008 through a partnership between The Trust for Public Land and Cox Enterprises, the parent company of FOX25. The partnership stems from Cox Enterprises' national Cox Conserves sustainability program that focuses on reducing waste and energy consumption, conserving water and inspiring eco-friendly behavior.

Cox Conserves Heroes also takes place in Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana and Virginia. Through the national Cox Conserves Heroes program, nearly $600,000 has been donated to environmental nonprofits and more than 150 volunteers have been honored.

For more information, visit CoxConservesHeroes.com or Facebook.

Social Media: #CoxConservesHeroes and #CoxConservesHero

About FOX25:
FOX25 News is a part of Cox Media Group and is the leading provider of local news, weather, and traffic. Boston is ranked the No. 7 designated market area (DMA) and comprises more than 2.4 million households. Viewers in Boston and Manchester, NH can tune into WFXT-TV on Comcast Channel 25, DirecTV Channel 25 and Dish Channel 25.

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. 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.

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.

The company's sustainability goals are to send zero waste to landfill by 2024 and become carbon and water neutral by 2044. The company also presents the Cox Conserves Sustainability Survey, a nationwide survey that examines sustainability opportunities and challenges for small and medium-sized businesses.

About Warrendale Appliance:
Warrendale Appliance is a local family-owned and managed appliance retailer based in Waltham, MA with a $38 million dollar inventory of the newest energy efficient appliances.  Warrendale Appliance has served customers in Metro West and Boston Area since 1948.

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SOURCE Cox Conserves