Keep America Beautiful’s Newly Expanded Graffiti Prevention Grants Awarded to Eight Outstanding Local Organizations

(3BL Media / theCSRfeed) Stamford, CT - Oct. 31, 2011 - Keep America Beautiful, Inc. (KAB) announced the winners of the 2011 Graffiti Hurts® Grant Program. The annual grants were initiated in 2007 to help support grassroots programs that combat graffiti vandalism. This year, KAB expanded the grants program and added one additional $2,500 cash grant, three $2,500 Sherwin-Williams paint supply certificates and one Q-Star FlashCAM, valued at $6,100. The FlashCAM is a deterrent system effective in preventing illegal trespassing during hours it most often occurs.

This year’s winners are:
    $2,500 cash grant recipients:
•    Casa Grande Police Department – Casa Grande, Ariz.
•    Keep Victoria Beautiful – Victoria, Texas
•    Boys & Girls Clubs of America of East County – Santee, Calif.
•    Keep Manatee Beautiful – Bradenton, Fla.

$2,500 Sherwin –Williams paint supply certificate recipients:
•    Downtown Westfield Corporation – Westfield, N.J.
•    Downtown Visalians – Visalia, Calif.
•    Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership – Pittsburgh, Penn.

Q-Star FlashCAM recipient:
•    Tyler Against Graffiti – Tyler, Texas

“This year’s grant recipients presented exceptional plans to educate and engage at-risk youth, and to bring entire communities together to prevent and eradicate graffiti,” said Matthew McKenna, President and CEO of Keep America Beautiful. “All of the winners developed programs that help prevent negative impacts to society through behavior change, while creating a sense of ownership for their community. We’re grateful to The Sherwin-Williams Company for its ongoing support of the Graffiti Hurts program, a nationwide resource for addressing graffiti problems.”

Responding to the blight of graffiti vandalism, Graffiti Hurts® was developed in 1996 through a partnership between Keep America Beautiful, the nation’s largest nonprofit education and community improvement organization, and The Sherwin-Williams Company (NYSE: SHW), maker of Krylon paint.  According to the U.S. Department of Justice, graffiti contributes to lost revenue associated with reduced ridership on transit systems, reduced retail sales, and declines in the value of surrounding residential and commercial property.

“Sherwin-Williams is proud to sponsor the Graffiti Hurts program, and is dedicated to supporting initiatives that help prevent and eradicate graffiti,” said Harvey Sass, President and General Manager, Diversified Brands Division, The Sherwin-Williams Company. “Graffiti Hurts is effectively addressing this issue nationwide, and we commend the 2011 grant winners for their innovative plans to help stop graffiti in their communities.”

About Keep America Beautiful, Inc. and Graffiti Hurts®
Keep America Beautiful, Inc., established in 1953, is the nation's largest volunteer-based community action and education organization. With a network of more than 1,200 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. For additional information, visit www.kab.org. For more information about Graffiti Hurts® and its resources to help communities prevent graffiti, visit www.graffitihurts.org or contact graffitihurts@kab.org.

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