HOUSTON, Nov. 9, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- The Port of Houston Authority (PHA) will be honored as this year's Outstanding Proud Partner -- the highest honor from Keep Houston Beautiful and Mayor Bill White -- during a luncheon at the Hilton Houston Post Oak Hotel on Monday, November 21, beginning at 11:30 a.m.
The Proud Partner Award salutes the PHA's efforts to improve Houston area waterways. Keep Houston Beautiful also will recognize the permanent mosaic mural that was commissioned by the PHA and installed at the M/V Sam Houston Visitors' Pavilion to depict and celebrate the Houston Ship Channel's 90-year history. PHA Chairman Jim Edmonds will accept both awards.
"As a leader in the maritime shipping industry, the Port of Houston Authority advocates the protection of the Texas Gulf Coast's water quality for both recreational and commercial uses," stated Chairman Edmonds. "To that end, we remain actively involved in efforts aimed at reversing coastal erosion, monitoring and mitigating storm water discharges into the waterway system, and implementing the most effective technologies and rapid response systems to ensure the highest level of water quality."
Individual tickets are available for $100 -- $500. Table sponsorships are available for $1,500 -- $25,000. Proceeds support neighborhood cleanups and beautification initiatives around the city. For details, contact Sonia Chavez of Keep Houston Beautiful at 713-839-8855 or visit the website http://www.houstonbeautiful.org. To see a list of this year's winners, visit http://houstonbeautiful.org/2005luncheonwinners.htm.
About the Port of Houston Authority
The Port of Houston Authority owns and operates the public facilities located along the Port of Houston, the 25-mile long complex of diversified public and private facilities designed for handling general cargo, containers, grain and other dry bulk materials, project and heavy lift cargo, and other types of cargo. Each year, more than 6,600 vessels call at the port, which ranks first in the U.S. in foreign waterborne tonnage, second in overall total tonnage, and sixth largest in the world. The Port Authority plays a vital role in ensuring navigational safety along the Houston Ship Channel, which has been instrumental in Houston's development as a center of international trade. The Barbours Cut Container Terminal and Central Maintenance Facility are the first of any U.S. port facilities to develop and implement an innovative Environmental Management System that meets the rigorous standards of ISO 14001. Additionally, the port is an approved delivery point for Coffee "C" futures contracts traded on the New York Board of Trade's Coffee, Sugar & Cocoa Exchange. For more information, please visit www.portofhouston.com. To access the port's website photo gallery, please visit http://www.portofhouston.com/publicrelations/publicrelations.html and click the link for PHA Photo Gallery.
The Port of Houston Authority logo can be found at: http://media.primezone.com/prs/single/?pkgid=720
About Keep Houston Beautiful and the Mayor's Proud Partners Luncheon
Keep Houston Beautiful is the city's leading organization in beautification, litter reduction and recycling education. It is an affiliate of Keep America Beautiful. The Mayor's Proud Partners Awards Luncheon honors individuals, businesses, civic organizations, government agencies and schools that make our city shine. By drawing attention to the quality of life improvements undertaken by the award winners, we are supporting initiatives to make Houston a clean, competitive, and livable city.