KTVU Channel 2 Announces Bruce Beyaert as the Bay Area's 2010 Cox Conserves Hero

$10,000 going to local environmental nonprofits

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Oct 27, 2010, 10:00 ET

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- KTVU Channel 2 and The Trust for Public Land (TPL) announced that Bruce Beyaert was chosen as the San Francisco Bay Area's 2010 Cox Conserves Hero. Beyaert was nominated for the program, selected as a finalist by local environmental leaders and ultimately named as the Hero after receiving the most votes in an online public poll. Beyaert has selected San Francisco Bay Trail Project to receive the $5,000 award.

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Beyaert founded the Trails for Richmond Action Committee (TRAC) with the mission of completing the San Francisco Bay Trail in Richmond. He's created strong alliances for completing the project and built a support group of more than a 1,000 members.

"I've always had a love for the San Francisco Bay and its shoreline," said Beyaert. "When we started, there were little trails, but with no connectivity. We're going to have 30 miles of the Bay Trail built by year end."

Each of the four finalists received $1,250 to donate to their environmental nonprofits of choice.

Finalists and their nonprofits of choice included:

Duane DeWitt: World Stewardship Institute
Mark Liolios: Berkeley Partners for Parks
Cassandra Lopez: Niebly Library
Gordon Piper: Oakland Landscape Committee

This is the second year for the Bay Area's Cox Conserves Heroes program. Lennie Roberts received last year's award in recognition of her 50 tireless years of environmental volunteer work. As Roberts' nonprofit of choice, the Committee for Green Foothills received $5,000.

The Cox Conserves Heroes program was created through a partnership between The Trust for Public Land and Cox Enterprises, the parent company of KTVU Channel 2, to honor everyday conservationists. The program also runs in Atlanta, New Orleans, San Diego and Seattle.

About KTVU Channel 2

Located in Oakland, Calif., KTVU Channel 2 serves the entire San Francisco Bay Area and is part of Cox Media Group and is a FOX affiliate. Cox Media Group, Inc., a subsidiary of Atlanta-based Cox Enterprises, is an integrated broadcasting, publishing and digital media company that includes Valpak and the national advertising rep firms of Cox Reps. With revenues of $1.8 billion, the company operations include 15 broadcast television stations and one local cable channel, 86 radio stations, four metro newspapers and more than a dozen non-daily publications, and more than 100 digital services. Additionally, Cox Media Group owns and operates Valpak, one of the leading direct marketing companies in North America.

About The Trust for Public Land

The Trust for Public Land (TPL) is a national nonprofit land conservation organization that conserves land for people to enjoy as parks, gardens, and natural areas, ensuring livable communities for generations to come. Since 1972, TPL has worked with willing landowners, community groups, and national, state, and local agencies to complete close to 5,000 land conservation projects in 46 states, protecting 2.8 million acres. Since 1994, TPL has helped states and communities craft and pass over 380 ballot measures, generating $36 billion in new conservation-related funding.

SOURCE Cox Enterprises