Pyeongtaek Green City Project Division Donates Full Prize Money of 2.5 Million Won

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Seo Dong-young] On the 17th, the Forest and Greenspace Division of Pyeongtaek's Green City Project Office donated 2.5 million won in charitable funds to the Pyeongtaek Happiness Sharing Foundation to assist disadvantaged residents in the local community at the city hall's External Cooperation Office.

The prize money was awarded after the division was selected as the most outstanding organization in the "Fine Dust Blocking Forest" category of the 2020 Green City Excellence Case Contest held at the Korea Forest Service (Government Daejeon Complex) on the 14th.

The division donated the entire amount to help the local community facing challenges due to COVID-19.

Meanwhile, the Green City Excellence Case Contest is a project implemented by the Korea Forest Service since 2007 to raise awareness of the necessity of urban forests that have functions to reduce fine dust and mitigate extreme heat. The initiative aims to discover, share, and disseminate cases where urban forests, blocking forests, and street trees are created to exhibit ecological health and fine dust reduction functions.

Park Jeong-hyun, Director of the Green City Project Office, stated, "We hope that the donation will provide some help to small business owners in the local community and disadvantaged groups experiencing difficulties from the resurgence of COVID-19," adding "We will continue to make efforts to ensure Pyeongtaek develops into a safe and healthy city protected from yellow dust and fine dust."

Mayor Jung Jang-seon of Pyeongtaek City said, "During this difficult time when the prolonged COVID-19 has made things hard for everyone across society, warm acts of sharing will provide great strength and comfort to neighbors in need," and expressed his hope that "the culture of donation and sharing within the city will become more active in the future."