NC Beautiful Now Accepting Applications for 2008 Annual Azalea Celebration

PRLog (Press Release) – Jun 10, 2008 – RALEIGH, NC – NC Beautiful has announced that it is now accepting applications for the 2008 Annual Azalea Celebration.  The event, co-sponsored by WRAL-TV 5 and MIX 101.5 WRAL-FM, is in its 23rd year and supports non-profits throughout the state of North Carolina that wish to beautify their grounds by establishing well maintained and continuous landscaping projects.

Capitol Broadcasting Company President and CEO, Jim Goodmon, started the Annual Azalea Celebration in 1985 with the goal of beautifying the community and introducing new and unusual varieties of azaleas.  The azaleas distributed for the celebration are taken exclusively from the WRAL-TV gardens developed by Alfred Johnston Fletcher, a prominent lawyer and business entrepreneur.  In 1937, Fletcher applied for a 250-watt AM radio station, forming Capitol Broadcasting Company.  

Applicants must represent a North Carolina non-profit organization in order to be eligible to apply.  Only one completed application per non-profit will be accepted.  Azaleas propagated for the Azalea Celebration are evergreen, available in one-gallon containers, and come in pink, white, red, lavender, lavender and white, and purple.  Sizes range from a mature 10-year height of two to three feet to five feet.

NC Beautiful Executive Director, Steve Vacendak, says that forming a committee and establishing a carefully thought-out landscaping plan are key to establishing a successful azalea garden.  

“The goal of the Annual Azalea Celebration is not just to provide short-term beauty, but to establish an enhanced community appearance that can be shared and enjoyed for many, many years to come,” explains Vacendak.  “Like NC Beautiful’s goal, our event is about promoting environmental stewardship and providing a hands-on experience in order to protect, preserve, and maintain our natural environment.  The Annual Azalea Celebration is just one way for all of us to come together and become a part of preserving this wonderful place that we all call home.”

CBC Property Management staff and volunteers distribute the plants at the CBC transmitter site located in Auburn, NC, where the greenhouses and cutting beds are located.  Application deadline is September 10.  For more information about the event or to obtain an application, contact Louise Carey at lcarey@ncbeautiful.org or call (919) 828-3190.

About NC Beautiful
NC Beautiful has been part of the state’s environmental preservation community for 40 years, supporting awareness, education and beautification efforts that affect our quality of life. Today, we concentrate on hands-on and merit-based programs designed to empower our citizens to preserve the natural beauty of the state of North Carolina. Whether it’s school children building outdoor classrooms, graduate students developing cutting edge research, or a Boy Scout troop planting azaleas at an elder care facility, we make it possible for North Carolinians to keep NC Beautiful.