WSB-TV Ch. 2 and The Trust for Public Land Announce Isabel González Whitaker as Atlanta's 2018 Cox Conserves Hero

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Sep 06, 2018, 08:00 ET

ATLANTA , Sept. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- WSB-TV Channel 2, a Cox Enterprises company, and The Trust for Public Land today named Isabel González Whitaker as Atlanta's 2018 Cox Conserves Hero. Park Pride, González Whitaker's nonprofit beneficiary, will receive $10,000 as part of her recognition for this award. A local judging panel chose González Whitaker from several outstanding candidates nominated by the public.

The Cox Conserves Heroes program is celebrating 10 years of recognizing community members who work tirelessly to create, preserve or enhance outdoor spaces. The program honors standout environmental volunteers to help further their cause with a $10,000 donation to their nonprofit of choice. Now González Whitaker will compete with the winners from local markets in Arizona, California, Florida, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Virginia and Washington to be the National Cox Conserves Hero. The national winner will be awarded the grand prize of an additional $50,000 for their nonprofit of choice.

González Whitaker was looking for a way to honor her recently deceased mother, a Cuban immigrant and leader in Georgia's Hispanic community, when she discovered Coronet Way Park on the border of Atlanta's Bolton Corridor. The park was available for renaming, and González Whitaker saw potential to refresh and revitalize the space. Leading the entire initiative, González Whitaker assembled a committee of neighbors and community leaders to determine the design of the park, organized volunteer work days and raised over $270,000 in private funds. Sara J. González Park, the first park in Georgia named after a Latino, now serves as a Hispanic cultural beacon and a safe, inclusive community space that fulfills a need in an area with little public greenspace.

"My mother loved children," said González Whitaker. "She was driven to connect with and help others. She believed in giving a voice to the voiceless. You may not be able to hear her voice at this park, but you can feel her presence and experience her core values firsthand: community, family, diversity."

In partnership with The Trust for Public Land, the Cox Conserves Heroes program is part of Cox Enterprises' national Cox Conserves™ sustainability program. Through the Cox Conserves Heroes program, the James M. Cox Foundation has donated $860,000 to environmental nonprofits and honored more than 200 volunteers since the program's launch a decade ago. The 2018 National Cox Conserves Hero will be voted on by the public between Oct. 1–15.

About Cox Enterprises:
Cox Enterprises is a leading communications, media and automotive services company. With revenues over $20 billion and approximately 60,000 employees, the company's major operating subsidiaries include Cox Communications (cable television distribution, high-speed internet access, telephone, home security and automation, commercial telecommunications and advertising solutions); Cox Automotive (automotive-related auctions, financial services, media and software solutions); and Cox Media Group (television and radio stations, digital media, newspapers and advertising sales rep firms).

The company's major national brands include Autotrader, Kelley Blue Book and Manheim. Through Cox Automotive, the company's international operations stretch across Asia, Australia, Europe and Latin America. To learn more about Cox's commitment to people, sustainability and our communities, please visit www.CoxCSRReport.com.

About Cox Media Group:
Cox Media Group (CMG) is an integrated broadcasting, publishing, direct marketing and digital media company. The company's operations include broadcast television stations, radio stations, daily newspapers and non-daily publications. Additionally, Cox Media Group operates the National Advertising Platform businesses of CoxReps, Gamut and Videa; and offers a full suite of local and regional advertising services through its Local Solutions and Ideabar businesses. For more information about Cox Media Group, please visit www.coxmediagroup.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 10-minute 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.

SOURCE Cox Enterprises