Georgia Magazine - May 2018 - 18

KEEP ALBANY-DOUGHERTY BEAUTIFUL

CARROLL EMC

Carrollton-based Carroll Electric Membership Corp.
awarded a $5,586 Impact Grant to Keep Carroll Beautiful to
help purchase classroom recycling bins for Carrollton City
Schools and educational coloring books and materials for
America Recycles Day.

Keep Albany-Dougherty Beautiful's Root Ball Roundup initiative helped Albany
residents in 405 households remove 611 root balls after deadly tornadoes
uprooted thousands of trees in the area last year.

saws, they couldn't dig out these massive root balls,"
comes through grants from government entities or corpoBowles recalls. "We had help from FEMA [the Federal
rations and individual donations.
Emergency Management Agency], but government
"In some parts of the state, we're part of the county
equipment can't go on private property, so we went to
or municipal government," Johnston-Russell says. "Other
the local Caterpillar and [John] Deere dealerships and
affiliates are nonprofits or a cross between the two."
asked them to donate equipment. They did-and proSeveral of Georgia's member-owned electric cooperavided qualified operators, too."
tives show their support for Keep Georgia Beautiful
Volunteers teamed up to dig out the downed trees'
affiliate programs in their areas. Among them, Coastal
root balls and get them curbside within 90 days, the time Electric Cooperative in Midway sponsored Keep McInlimit to receive some reimbursement from FEMA. In the
tosh Beautiful's Red, White & Green recycled-art event,
end, 611 root balls were hauled away, and the program
Carrollton-based Carroll Electric Membership Corp. (EMC)
took home a 2017 Keep America Beautiful Award of
awarded a 2017 Impact Grant to Keep Carroll Beautiful
Excellence.
for its recycling initiatives, and Jackson EMC in Jefferson
"We created the program because there was a need," and Walton EMC in Monroe partnered with Gwinnett
Bowles says. "And that's what I love about this job: It's
Clean & Beautiful for the Bring One for the Chipper
not mundane!"
Christmas-tree-recycling program.
Her latest project, Grow Albany, aims to replace the
The keys to making Keep Georgia Beautiful's prolost trees. Last November, the program made significant
grams work, says Cabrera, are the volunteers who bring
strides, planting 147 trees at Radium Springs Gardens, on their enthusiasm and energy.
the outskirts of Albany. In February, more than 500 vol"It comes from the people who want to help," he
unteers turned out at Albany's historic Tift Park to plant
says. "It's all grass-roots."
8- to 10-foot-tall trees.
H.M. Cauley is an Atlanta-based author of three
Some innovative programs and slogans from Georguidebooks to Georgia and a feature writer whose work
gia affiliates have spread across the country, such as
regularly appears in local newspapers and magazines.
Keep Athens-Clarke County Beautiful's Cigarette Fairy campaign and
How you can Keep Georgia Beautiful
Keep Smyrna Beautiful's "We Fight
Reach out to your local affiliate and sign up for one of the
Dirty" slogan.
many programs offered. A complete list of local affiliates is
In addition, the local organizaonline at keepgeorgiabeautiful.org.
tions participate in national initiatives, including the Great American
Don't have a local affiliate? Consider starting one!
Cleanup, which begins in March
Change your own behavior! Pick up litter on your block. Learn
and runs through the end of May;
how to recycle your household items.
National Planting Day in September
and October; and America Recycles
Make a donation to your local Keep Georgia Beautiful affiliate.
Day in November.
Funding for programs often
18

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Georgia Magazine - May 2018