Cox and The Trust for Public Land Announce Finalists for Arizona's Cox Conserves Heroes Program

Public asked to vote; program to donate $20,000 to environmental nonprofits in Arizona

PHOENIX, July 13, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Cox Communications and The Trust for Public Land are recognizing volunteers who are creating, preserving or enhancing shared outdoor spaces. Mike Birrer, Marilyn Hanson and John Jordan have been selected as finalists for Arizona's 2015 Cox Conserves Heroes program, and the public is being asked to vote now through August 10. To vote, visit www.cox7.com/cox-conserves.

A total of $20,000 will be donated to local environmental nonprofits on behalf of the three finalists. Each finalist has secured a $5,000 donation for his or her environmental nonprofit of choice. The finalists 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 the online public vote.

Arizona's 2015 Cox Conserves Heroes Finalists:

Mike Birrer leads volunteer crews in Southern Arizona that are transforming underused public right-of-ways into vibrant community spaces. By picking up trash, pulling weeds and trimming trees, Birrer is opening up sidewalks and bike lanes for walkers and cyclists. He provides all of the tools needed for the beautification, creates community connections and encourages the next generation to become active by recruiting student volunteers. His nonprofit of choice is Living Streets Alliance.

Marilyn Hanson retired from teaching in 1999 and turned her energy into caring for her adopted home in Southern Arizona's Sonoran Desert. She is a docent at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, volunteer at the Arizona Native Plant Society and a volunteer lead for the Sonora Desert Weedwackers. Through her work, she is preserving the Sonoran Desert ecosystem and educating others of its importance. Her nonprofit of choice is the Southern Arizona Buffelgrass Coordination Center.

John Jordan has advocated for native and wild trout conservation projects in the Phoenix Valley for more than a decade. He helped create a Gila Trout population in Haigler Creek by providing his own land. He also worked extensively with the angling community, tribal groups and elected officials to improve the fishery at Lees Ferry. This attracted avid anglers to visit the area - creating significant economic and cultural benefits to the state. His nonprofit of choice is Trout Unlimited Arizona State Council.

The winner will be announced in August. Scottsdale's Melinda Gulick, Tucson's Brad Lancaster and Phoenix's Greg Clark are previous recipients of Arizona's Cox Conserves Heroes award. 

As either a finalist or winner's nonprofit of choice, the following Arizona organizations have received financial support from the Cox Conserves Heroes program: Arizona Native Plant Society, Desert Harvesters, McDowell Sonoran Conservancy, Mission Garden, Nina Mason Pulliam Rio Salado Audubon Center, Phoenix Mountains Preservation, Tigermountain Foundation and Wild At Heart.

Cox Conserves Heroes also takes place in California, Georgia, Florida, Louisiana, Massachusetts and Virginia. Through the overall Cox Conserves Heroes program, more than $525,000 has been donated to environmental nonprofits and nearly 150 volunteers have been honored.

For more information, visit CoxConservesHeroes.com or Facebook.

Social Media: #CoxConservesHeroes and #CoxConservesHero

About Cox Communications:     
Cox Communications is the third largest cable provider and a multi-service broadband communications company serving nearly 3 million residential and business product subscribers in Arizona (a product subscriber represents an individual service purchased by a customer). In metro Phoenix, Cox serves approximately 2.5 million product subscribers. In Southern Arizona, Cox serves approximately 400,000 product subscribers. Cox's 24,000-mile hybrid fiber coaxial cable network throughout Phoenix and Southern Arizona provides homes and businesses with digital television, high speed Internet, home networking, high-definition television and digital telephone service over its own nationwide IP network. Cox is the third largest private for-profit employer in Arizona.  During the past nine years, Cox has topped numerous J.D. Power and Associates' studies of customer satisfaction, most recently receiving top honors for residential telephone & high speed Internet, and business data services and has received PC Magazine's "people's choice" award for the sixth time. Additionally, Cox High Speed Internet has been ranked #1 for the past seven years on the "Ranking Arizona-Best of Arizona Business" list. Cox Media is responsible for the sale of cable advertising throughout Arizona. Cox Communications is a wholly owned subsidiary of Cox Enterprises Inc and serves approximately 6 million customers nationwide. Additional information about Cox in Arizona is available at www.cox.com/arizona.

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' 50,000 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.

SOURCE Cox Enterprises, Inc.

For further information: Andrea Katsenes, Cox Communications, 623-328-3272, Andrea.Katsenes@cox.com or Jami Buck-Vance, Cox Enterprises, 678-645-0074, jami.buck-vance@coxinc.com or Kristen Anderson, The Trust for Public Land, 415-495-4014, kristen.anderson@tpl.org