Finalists Named for Orange County's Cox Conserves Heroes Program, Public Asked to Vote

Program to donate $15,000 to environmental nonprofits in OC

ORANGE COUNTY, Calif., July 9, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Cox Communications and The Trust for Public Land  announced Evan Brown, Frank Capalupo and George Sutherland as the 2014 finalists for Orange County's Cox Conserves Heroes program, which recognizes volunteers for creating, preserving or enhancing outdoor spaces.

The public is being asked to vote through August 6 to determine the winner. To vote, visit CoxConservesHeroes.com and select the Orange County area.

A total of $15,000 will be donated to local environmental nonprofits on behalf of the three finalists. As a finalist, each individual has secured a $2,500 donation for his or her environmental nonprofit of choice. The finalists are now competing for an additional $7,500 – bringing the total award to $10,000 for the winner's nonprofit of choice.

Orange County's 2014 Cox Conserves Heroes Finalists
Evan Brown has volunteered hundreds of hours at Earthroots Field School. By leading outdoor field trips and classes for individuals of all ages, he connects people with nature. He also leads by example to encourage individuals to embrace sustainable habits such as rain harvesting and organic gardening. His environmental nonprofit of choice is Earthroots Field School.

Frank Capalupo brings educational tours at the Ocean Conservancy to life for children, inspiring them to learn more about the ocean and how it impacts our lives. He also speaks at local clubs and organizations about the importance of environmental education and ocean awareness. His environmental nonprofit of choice is Ocean Institute.

George Sutherland restores stream habitat and migration opportunities for Southern California's endangered steelhead fish. By improving water quality for the steelhead, he is enhancing the conditions for other native aquatic and wildlife species. Orange County citizens also benefit from the cool-pollution-free water. His environmental nonprofit of choice is the South Coast Chapter of Trout Unlimited.

Orange County's Cox Conserves Hero will be announced in mid-August. Alice Apkarian and Michael Beannan are previous recipients of Orange County's Cox Conserves Heroes award.

The Cox Conserves Heroes program was created through a partnership between The Trust for Public Land and Cox Enterprises, the parent company of Cox Communications. The program is sponsored locally by KX 93.5.

Cox Conserves Heroes takes place in Arizona (Phoenix and Tucson); California (Orange County, San Diego and Santa Barbara); Georgia (Atlanta); Louisiana (Acadiana, Baton Rouge and New Orleans); Virginia (Fairfax County/Fredericksburg, Hampton Roads and Roanoke);  and Washington (Seattle).

Social Media: #CoxConservesHeroes and #CoxConservesHero

About Cox Communications
Serving California communities in San Diego, Orange County, Palos Verdes, and Santa Barbara, Cox Communications is a broadband communications and entertainment company, providing advanced digital video, Internet, and telephone services over its own nationwide IP network. Cox also offers home security and automation services to residential customers. The third-largest U.S. cable TV company, Cox serves approximately 6 million residences and businesses nationwide. 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 new media advertising.

Cox is known for its pioneering efforts in cable telephone and commercial services, industry-leading customer care and its outstanding workplaces. For seven years, Cox has been recognized as the top operator for women by Women in Cable Telecommunications; for seven years, Cox has ranked among DiversityInc's Top 50 Companies for Diversity. 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. 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 James C. 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, Manheim, Cox Media Group and AutoTrader 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 in the next 7-10 years and become carbon and water neutral in the next 25-30 years.

SOURCE Cox Communications

For further information: Cox Communications: Ceanne Guerra, 858-836-7306, ceanne.guerra@cox.com; or Cox Enterprises: Elizabeth Olmstead, 678-645-0762, elizabeth.olmstead@coxinc.com; or The Trust for Public Land: Kristen Anderson, 415-495-4014, kristen.anderson@tpl.org