Nominations sought for Cox Conserves Heroes awards

Cox Communications, in partnership with The Trust for Public Land, is seeking nominations for Arizona’s 5^th annual Cox Conserves Heroes awards program. A total of $20,000 will be donated to local environmental nonprofits on behalf of the winner and finalists.

Nominations are being accepted through 5 p.m. MT on May 6^th at www.cox7.com/cox-conserves for volunteers in Phoenix and Southern Arizona who are creating, preserving or enhancing outdoor spaces.

A judging panel comprised of civic and environmental leaders will select three finalists who will then compete to be named Arizona’s 2016 Cox Conserves Hero. The winner, chosen through an online public vote, will receive $10,000 to donate to his or her selected nonprofit beneficiary. The two finalists each will receive $5,000 for their nonprofits of choice.

Nominee activities must be performed on a volunteer basis and may not be part of an individual’s employment.

Arizona’s 2016 Cox Conserves Heroes Timeline:

• Nominations:  Now – May 6^th

• Voting:  June 20^th – July 20^th   

• Winner Announcement: August

Arizona’s Cox Conserves Heroes program is sponsored locally by Bruce Munro: Sonoran Light at Desert Botanical Garden, which is being offered every night through May 8^th. Southern Arizona’s Marilyn Hanson, 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, Living Streets Alliance, McDowell Sonoran Conservancy, Mission Garden, Nina Mason Pulliam Rio Salado Audubon Center, Phoenix Mountains Preservation, Southern Arizona Buffelgrass Coordination Center, Tigermountain Foundation, Trout Unlimited Arizona State Council and Wild At Heart.

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. Cox Conserves Heroes also takes place in California, Georgia, Florida, Louisiana., Massachusetts and Virginia. Through the national Cox Conserves Heroes program, more than $600,000 has been donated to environmental nonprofits and more than 150 volunteers have been honored. 

For more information, visit CoxConservesHeroes.com or Facebook.