Keep Tennessee Beautiful’s Paint the State Green Kick-off in Pigeon Forge on Thursday

Governor Bill Haslam has designated March 2015 as Keep Tennessee Beautiful (KTnB) Month. In recognition of this honor, as well as the 2015 Great American Cleanup, KTnB along with the Pigeon Forge Hospitality Association and Keep Sevier Beautiful will host the Keep Tennessee Beautiful Month/Paint the State Green Kick-off Event on Thursday.

Several representatives from the state are speaking at the Keep Tennessee Beautiful Month/Paint the State Green Kick-off event including:

• Mark Braswell – TDEC Regional Director for External Affairs
• Shawn Bible – TDOT State Director of the Beautification Office & Governor appointed member of the KTnB State Advisory Board
• Mark McAdoo – TDOT
• Melissa Marshall – KTnB Executive Director
• Sandi Butler Hughes (Managing Editor of 4 Memphis Magazine)
• Tom Salter (Knox County Solid Waste Director)

“The purpose of this special awareness event is to encourage more people to get involved in the Great American Cleanup (March 1 – May 31) in our beautiful state,” said KTnB Executive Director Missy Marshall.

The Keep Tennessee Beautiful Month/Paint the State Green Kick-off Event will be held March 12, 2015 at the Hatfield & McCoy Dinner Show Theatre, 119 Music Road in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. Networking begins at 11 a.m., with the luncheon and program following at 11:30 a.m. Everyone is invited to attend. Admission is $20 at the door.

Sevier County serves as the Gateway to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park and is a popular tourist destination. “In areas with high concentrations of tourist activities and appealing natural attractions, waste disposal is a serious problem and improper disposal can be a major despoiler of the natural environment – rivers, scenic areas, and roadsides,” Marshall said. “Litter detracts from the natural beauty of Tennessee that tourists come to see and can adversely affect tourism. We see the opportunity to partner with the tourism industry in an effort to rally and educate Tennesseans to take a greater responsibility for their community environment as a ‘win-win’ for all involved.”

The efforts of our Keep America / Keep Tennessee Beautiful Affiliates play an important role in the success of the Tourism Industry and in preserving our states natural resources for the enjoyment of both Tennesseans and visitors to our state.

Last year, a total of 17,105 citizens in 195 communities participated in the Great American Cleanup in Tennessee, removing litter and graffiti, recycling materials and junked vehicles, and beautifying neighborhoods.

To learn how to get involved in the Great American Cleanup in your county, visit www.keeptnbeautiful.org/get-involved.