(Nacogdoches, Texas) – Keep Texas Beautiful (KTB) announced SFA's The BIG Event as a winner of the 2017 Ruthe Jackson Youth Leadership Award on May 19, 2017. The Ruthe Jackson Youth Leadership Award is one of eleven categories in the Keep Texas Beautiful Youth & Educator Awards and recognizes the efforts and leadership of young people and youth-oriented organizations who beautify their community and create cleaner, greener campuses, parks and neighborhoods. A full list of award winners can be found at www.ktb.org.
Each year, Keep Texas Beautiful recognizes the efforts of young people, educators, and
educational institutions that promote beautification, waste reduction and litter prevention through environmental education and community activism. SFA's The BIG Event promotes unity between campus and community as students come together for one day to express their gratitude through service for the support from the Nacogdoches community. Students work in teams to complete projects across Nacogdoches County as a way to say "thank you!" to the community for their support of SFA students.
As a Keep Texas Beautiful Affiliate, Keep Nacogdoches Beautiful nominated SFA's The BIG Event because of the great impact on the community due to the hard work of all volunteers involved. Volunteers with SFA's The BIG Event worked with Keep Nacogdoches Beautiful to clear 330 pounds of litter from local highways, maintain the KNB tree farm and relocate hundreds of jonquil bulbs along Banita Creek Trail.
"The BIG Event volunteers that worked on KNB projects provided such a valuable service to the community and our organization," said Katie Blevins, KNB executive director. "They picked up roadside litter, beautified a local park trail and readied our tree farm for future tree sales and fundraising projects."
About Keep Nacogdoches Beautiful
Keep Nacogdoches Beautiful is a 501(c)3 nonprofit, volunteer organization that promotes beautification, waste reduction and litter prevention through individual responsibility across Nacogdoches County. Keep Nacogdoches Beautiful is a local affiliate of Keep Texas Beautiful and Keep America Beautiful. More information about Keep Nacogdoches Beautiful and current programs can be found at www.keepnacbeautiful.org.
About Keep Texas Beautiful
Keep Texas Beautiful, the statewide grassroots environmental and community improvement organization and affiliate of Keep America Beautiful, educates and engages Texans to take responsibility for improving their community environment. KTB and its more than 390 affiliates work with government, businesses, civic groups, and volunteers to ensure that every Texan has the opportunity to help make Texas the cleanest, most beautiful state in the nation. For more information or to donate, cal 1-800- CLEAN-TX. Visit www.ktb.org or follow along at #50YearsofKTB.
About SFA's The BIG Event
Throughout the years, the Nacogdoches community has shown endless support to the students of Stephen F. Austin State University. For this reason, The BIG Event strives to reciprocate that appreciation to all residents. Each year, SFA students spend one day performing various service projects all across Nacogdoches County. The BIG Event is focused solely on saying "thanks." Therefore, projects for this event are not based on need or socioeconomic status - ANYONE can apply for a project to be completed by our students!
Jamie Bouldin, KNB Board Member
Director, Center for Career and Professional Development
Stephen F. Austin State University
jfbouldin@sfasu.edu
Molly Moody, SFA's The BIG Event Coordinator
Assistant Director of Leadership and Service
Stephen F. Austin State University
moodymk@sfasu.edu
(936)468-1018
P.O. Box 13021
Nacogdoches, TX 75962