PHILADELPHIA – On Friday, November 5, elected officials joined Streets Commissioner Carlton Williams and the Philadelphia More Beautiful Committee (PMBC) in announcing the top four winners of the annual Clean Block Contest.  The announcement was made at The Felt Factory by Romano’s Catering, 1523 East Wingohocking Street.

The blocks in the contest were judged for engagement of block residents, cleanliness, beautification efforts, and property improvements.

The four top winners selected from among the 11 blocks competing in this year’s contest are as follows:

• 1^st PLACE – $1,000               1700 block of Stocker Street (South Philly)
• 2^nd PLACE – $ 700                100 East Colonial Street (East Oak Lane / Melrose Park)
• 3^rd PLACE – $ 500                 700 block of North 40^th Street (West Philly)
• 4^TH PLACE – $300                700 block of Marlyn Road (Wynnefield)

The remaining blocks will each receive $150. The prize money is to be used for worthwhile clean block projects.

In addition to the Clean Block Awards, PMBC announced its Community Spirit Award winners. The Community Spirit Awards recognize special contributions PMBC blocks make in their communities.  The three categories – Junior Block Captain of the Year Award, the Transformation Award for Beautification Projects, and the Neighbors Helping Neighbors Award – truly represent organized blocks maintaining livability, recapturing their strength, and working to keep their block from declining.

Junior Block Captain Award

Anward Alcide, 5000 block of Pulaski Avenue, Robin Lowry is the Block Captain

Neighbors Helping Neighbors Award

Peggy Edmunds, block captain, 100 block of North 61^st Street

Neighborhood Transformation Award

700 block of East Willard Street, Reinaldo Cruz-Pagan is the Block Captain

The PMBC Awards Banquet is the culmination of a busy season of block cleaning and beautification efforts.

PMBC, a part of the Streets Department’s Sanitation Division, is an urban environmental partnership. The program has ties as far back as 1938 when a newly immigrated resident, Sigrid Craig approached city officials about efforts to clean street in the city. The program became known as the “Clean Up, Paint Up, Fix Up” Campaign. In 1953, the campaign began collaborating with a police sanitation unit and the Sanitation Division of the Philadelphia Department of Streets. The program was formalized in 1965 with the formation of the Philadelphia More Beautiful Committee.  Through its network, more than 6,500 block captains participate, promoting civic pride, public safety, and neighborhood empowerment among block captains, community group leaders and their units.