Civic League, Allstate Name All-America City Finalists
The National Civic League and Allstate Insurance Company has named the 30 finalist communities in the 1999 All-America City Award competition. Now celebrating its 50th anniversary, the All-America City Award annually honors 10 communities that best exemplify the spirit of grassroots citizen involvement and collaborative problem solving.
The issues and challenges during the first 50 years of the All-America City Award program reflect the changing social, political and economic trends of post-war America. This year's finalists also face challenges that mirror current national issues including crime, education, poverty, race relations and the environment.
The 1999 finalists include: Safford, Arizona; Scottsdale, Arizona; Fresno, California; Napa, California; Santa Clarita, California; Stockton, California; Union City, California; Lower Naugatuck Valley, Connecticut; Tallahassee, Florida; Joliet, Illinois; Oak Park, Illinois; Wellington, Kansas; Wichita, Kansas; Shreveport, Louisiana; Greater Montgomery, Maryland; Lowell, Massachusetts; Worcester, Massachusetts; Brooklyn Park, Minnesota; Moorhead, Minnesota; Tupelo, Mississippi; Hickory, North Carolina; Morganton, North Carolina; Rocky Mount, North Carolina; Lancaster, Pennsylvania; Memphis, Tennessee; Tri-Cities (Bristol; Johnson City; Kingsport), Tennessee/Virginia; Bryan, Texas; Pearland, Texas; Taylor, Texas; Greater Green Bay, Wisconsin.
City officials, neighborhood activists, business leaders and community volunteers from each of the 30 finalist communities will travel to historic Philadelphia, to compete in hearings before the All-America City Jury on June 25 and June 26. After the community presentations the ten winning communities for 1999 will be announced at the 50th Anniversary awards ceremony on June 26. The ceremony will also recognize Philadelphia as a four-time winner of the All-America City Award and a 1949 inaugural-winning city of the national program.
``The individual achievements of these 30 finalist cities demonstrate the measurable success that can be achieved when a community's citizens join together to address today's critical issues,'' said Christopher T. Gates, President of the National Civic League. ``Their accomplishments serve as an inspiration to other communities across America that may be facing similar challenges.''
``For fifty years, these All-America cities have truly exemplified the American spirit at work,'' said Edward M. Liddy, Allstate Chairman, President and CEO. ``By working together in partnership, the citizens of these communities have achieved remarkable change. Allstate is proud to honor community spirit, which builds stronger, safer neighborhoods and ensures that our youth have a brighter future.''
Originally established to recognize local government reform and efforts to support education, the focus of the All-America City Award has shifted to encourage broader community initiatives such as economic development, health and social service projects and efforts to improve race relations. In 1997, on the heels of the President's Summit for America's Youth, Allstate and the National Civic League asked that all applicants include at least one community-wide youth initiative.
Since the program's inception in 1949, more than 4,000 communities have competed and more than 400 communities have been named an ``All-America City.''
The All-America City Award is a program of the National Civic League, a 105-year-old national non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to strengthening citizen democracy by transforming democratic institutions through technical assistance, training, publishing, research and the All-America City Award. The National Civic League is headquartered in Denver, Colorado.
Allstate has been the sole corporate supporter of the All-America City Award since 1988.