KIB and Roche to plant trees on the near Eastside as part of the 2,012 trees by 2012 initiative

INDIANAPOLIS – (May 2, 2011) - Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, Inc. (KIB) and more than 200 Roche Diagnostics employees will plant a variety of 200 Indiana native trees in Brookside Park on May 6, as part of the Near Eastside Legacy Project to achieve the goal of planting 2,012 trees on the Near Eastside of Indianapolis by the 2012 Super Bowl.

“Our volunteers are energized to be working on this project with KIB,” said Tom Adkins, senior vice president and head of Roche Diagnostics Operations in Indianapolis. “It appeals to us on many levels because our efforts are contributing to sustainable development, improving lives, giving back to our community and supporting the 2012 Super Bowl initiative.”

The 2012 by 2012 initiative is an extension of KIB’s NeighborWoods program—an urban forestry effort to plant 100,000 trees in Marion County by 2017. The trees planted as part of the program will continue to impact Indianapolis and the surrounding areas long after the 2012 Super Bowl.

“With the help of corporate partners such as Roche, we are able to make strides to our tree planting goals,” said David Forsell, president of Keep Indianapolis Beautiful. “Not only will these trees grow to add benefits to the neighborhood, they will also create a living legacy for years to come.”

For more information on how you can be part of the 2,012 by 2012 initiative or to learn more about the benefits of trees, please visit www.kibi.org/neighborwoods.

About Roche Diagnostics
Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Roche is a leader in research-focused healthcare with combined strengths in pharmaceuticals and diagnostics and about 80,000 employees worldwide. The diagnostics division offers a broad portfolio of tools that help healthcare providers diagnose and monitor diseases like congestive heart failure, HIV, hepatitis and diabetes, as well as other medical conditions. These products and services are used by researchers, physicians, patients, hospitals and laboratories to help improve people’s lives. Roche Diagnostics’ North American headquarters, located in Indianapolis, has about 4,200 employees and is home to U.S. research and development, laboratory, manufacturing, distribution, information technology and administrative operations. For more information: www.roche-diagnostics.us or www.roche.com.

About Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, Inc.
Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, Inc. is a private, nonprofit organization uniting people to build community and transform public spaces through aesthetic and environmental improvement. In 2010, KIB engaged nearly 40,000 volunteers on 500 community improvement projects. To learn more, please visit www.kibi.org.

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