Cox and The Trust For Public Land Seek Public Nominations for California's 2017 Cox Conserves Heroes Awards

$20,000 to be donated to local environmental nonprofits

ORANGE COUNTY, Calif., SANTA BARBARA, Calif., PALOS VERDES, Calif. and SAN DIEGO, April 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Cox Communications, in partnership with The Trust for Public Land, is asking the public to nominate their local environmental heroes for California's 2017 Cox Conserves Heroes awards program.

Nominations for volunteers who are creating, preserving or enhancing outdoor spaces are being accepted at CoxConservesHeroes.com through 8 p.m. EDT (5 p.m. PDT) on May 12. The volunteers should be located in Cox's service areas in Orange County, San Diego, Santa Barbara, and Palos Verdes.

Eligibility Criteria

• Nominee's activity creates, protects and/or beautifies an outdoor community space; 
• Nominee's activity is done on a volunteer basis and is not part of his or her paid employment;
• Nominee's activity inspires others to engage in community conservation.

Local judging panels, comprised of local civic and environmental leaders, will select three finalists. The winner, chosen through an online public vote, will be named California's 2017 Cox Conserves Hero and receive $10,000 to donate to his or her environmental nonprofit of choice. The two finalists will each receive $5,000 for their nonprofits of choice.

Nonprofit of Choice Criteria

• The organization must be a public 501(c)(3).
• The organization's efforts must focus on environmental improvement.

California's Cox Conserves Heroes Timeline:

• Public Nominations:  April 24 – May 12
• Public Voting:  June
• Winner Announcement: Late June

In California, the Cox Conserves Heroes program has honored nearly 70 environmental volunteers and donated nearly $250,000 to their local nonprofits of choice.

In partnership with The Trust for Public Land, the national Cox Conserves Heroes program has donated nearly $800,000 to environmental nonprofits, and nearly 200 volunteers have been honored. Cox Conserves Heroes also takes place in Arizona, Georgia, Florida, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Virginia and Washington and is part of the company's national Cox Conserves sustainability program that is celebrating its 10^th anniversary.

For more information, visit CoxConservesHeroes.com or Facebook.

Social Media: #CoxConservesHeroes and #CoxConservesHero

About Cox Communications:
Cox Communications is a broadband communications and entertainment company, providing advanced digital video, Internet, telephone and home security and automation services over its own nationwide IP network. The third-largest U.S. cable company, Cox serves approximately 6 million residences and businesses. Cox Business is a facilities-based provider of voice, video and data solutions for commercial customers, and Cox Media is a full-service provider of national and local cable spot and digital media advertising. Cox is known for its pioneering efforts in broadband, voice and commercial services, industry-leading customer care and its outstanding workplaces. For nine years, Cox has been recognized as the top operator for women by Women in Cable Telecommunications; Cox has ranked among DiversityInc's Top 50 Companies for Diversity 11 times. More information about Cox Communications, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cox Enterprises, is available at www.cox.com and www.coxmedia.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 one-half mile 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.

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' 60,000 employees and their families to engage in eco-friendly practices.

SOURCE Cox Enterprises

For further information: Cox Communications: Ceanne Guerra, 858-836-7306, ceanne.guerra@cox.com, Cox Enterprises: Joanna Coker, 678-645-7318, joanna.coker@coxinc.com, The Trust for Public Land: Kristen Anderson, 415-495-4014, kristen.anderson@tpl.org