NEWS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date: June 15, 2002
Contact: Gary Chandler
Phone: 303.571.4343
Fax: 303.571.4404
Email: gchandler@ncl.org

National Civic League Announces
All-America City Award Winners

Kansas City, Missouri - June 15, 2002 - This evening the celebration begins for the ten communities that were designated as All-America Cities by the National Civic League during a ceremony in Kansas City. The All-America City Award, a 53-year-old program of the National Civic League recognizing civic excellence, annually honors 10 communities that best exemplify the spirit of grassroots citizen involvement and cross-sector collaborative problem solving. Since the program began in 1949, more than 4,000 communities (neighborhoods, cities, towns, counties, and regions) have competed and nearly 500 communities have been named All-America Cities.

The ten All-America City award recipients for 2002 are (in alphabetical order):

Region of Tuscaloosa-Northport, Alabama
City of Anchorage, Alaska
City of Fountain, Colorado
City of Elgin, Illinois
City of Roswell, New Mexico
Buffalo-Niagara Region, New York
Town of Huntington, New York
City of Weslaco, Texas
City of Hampton, Virginia
City of Everett, Washington

Delegations comprised of government officials, neighborhood activists, business leaders and volunteers from each of the 30 AAC Finalist communities traveled to Kansas City, Missouri, to compete in hearings before the 10-member All-America City Jury. Following extraordinary presentations from each community, the 10 All-America Cities were announced this evening at an awards ceremony at the Hyatt Regency Crown Center.

These All-America Cities symbolize the backbone of our nation, the ability of citizens, government, businesses and nonprofit organizations to come together, effectively address their local issues, and produce tangible results, said Christopher T. Gates, president of the National Civic League. The accomplishments of these 10 All-America Cities serve as an inspiration to communities across the United States that are facing similar challenges.

This year's AAC Finalists developed innovative programs and local solutions addressing current national issues including crime, education, poverty, cultural diversity, and the environment. The complete list of 2002 All-America City Finalists included:

For more information, digital photos and supporting materials please visit the National Civic League website at www.ncl.org.

Sponsors of the 2002 All-America City Awards include:

Convention and Visitors Bureau of Greater Kansas City
Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation
City of Kansas City, Missouri
Greater Kansas City Community Foundation
Mayor's Corps of Progress
Ameristar Casino & Hotel
Hallmark Corporate Foundation
Harrah's Casino and Hotel
Isle of Capri Casino
Johnson County, Kansas
St. Joseph's, Missouri
J.E. Dunn Construction Company
City of Edwardsville, Kansas
City of North Kansas City, Missouri
Parks and Recreation Department of Kansas City, Missouri
City of Fairway, Kansas

The National Civic League is a 109-year-old non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to strengthening citizen democracy by transforming democratic institutions. NCL accomplishes its mission through technical assistance, training, publishing, research, and the All-America City Award. The National Civic League is headquartered in Denver, Colorado, and has an office in Washington, D.C. For more information, call 303-571-4343 or visit www.ncl.org.

# # #