Keep America Beautiful with Google Cleanup

Google continues to follow their mission statement in using the internet as a way to bring people together. In their latest efforts, Keep America Beautiful, Inc., the nation's largest community improvement network joins forces with Internet information provider in promoting "International Cleanup Weekend," October 13-14, 2007.

Originated by Google, this worldwide event gives environmental responsibilities to local individuals and groups using Google's event framework and collaboration tools. Groups choose the areas of their community that has a need for cleanup, organize the event, invite friends, and share in the results. All of which can be done online. Any location can be the focus of activity and environmentally conscious citizens who are not associated with certain groups will be able to lend a hand by viewing where to go via the Google Maps website.

"Keep America Beautiful believes that each individual's daily choices and actions have a huge impact on communities and on the environment," Keep America Beautiful President G. Raymond Empson, stated in a recent press release, "Google's International Cleanup Weekend embodies this spirit of grassroots action, enabled by modern technology. We're happy to be involved."

Keep America Beautiful, Inc., established in 1953, is the nation's largest volunteer-based community action and education organization. With a network of nearly 1,000 affiliate and participating organizations, Keep America Beautiful forms public-private partnerships and programs that engage individuals to take greater responsibility for improving their community environments. To learn more about Keep America Beautiful, go to www.kab.org.

Integral to the concept are Google's "Google Maps" online tools (maps.google.com). Event participants are encouraged to use Google's easy-to- use interface to map the areas where they will be working. Once mapped, they can then broadcast their event to other volunteers and their larger communities. Get started with your local cleanup activities, or see what is happening on a global scale at http://maps.google.com/help/maps/cleanup/.

This event is also in partnership with the United Nations Environment Program, whose mission is to provide leadership and encourage partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing, and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations.

Google has once again demonstrated their ability with innovative ideas for creating worldwide platforms that bring communication between the masses to a new level of ease and success. In this time of global warming kudos to Google for demonstrating attention to environmental concerns, and creating an easier way for everyone to become active in saving the planet.