Texas Campus Adopt-a-Highway Group Wins Second Place in State
Northwood University EXCEL group recognized by TxDOT for advocacy and volunteer efforts.
The Northwood University EXCEL group was recently awarded second place in the 2008 Adopt-a-Highway (AAH) awards Volunteer Group of the Year category by the Keep Texas Beautiful Association (KTB). The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) Travel Information Division, in conjunction with KTB, presented the award during the International AAH Conference held in October in Austin, Texas.
The Northwood University EXCEL group is comprised of college-aged individuals, ranging in size from 12 to 20 members. Though the volunteers in the group constantly change, the group remains active in completing their roadway pick-ups, remaining environmentally conscious, and serving as litter-prevention advocates in their school and community. Their dedication to helping keep Texas' roadways litter-free resonates loud and clear.
"It is always encouraging to see dedicated volunteers participate in the AAH program and take pride in the appearance of the roadways in their area," said William Hale, P.E., TxDOT's Dallas District Engineer. "This program not only helps individuals to get involved and make a difference in the community, but it helps TxDOT save money on litter pickup maintenance costs and contracts, which is a win-win situation."
The Texas Campus EXCEL group has been involved in the AAH program for almost nine years. They have picked up more than 800 bags of litter on FM 1382, from Cedar Hill State Park to Sleepy Hollow Road, which is their stretch of adopted highway.
AAH awards are presented annually to recognize outstanding efforts by volunteer groups who demonstrate a high level of commitment to the program, strive to promote litter-prevention in their community, and participate in cleanups and the Don't Mess with Texas Trash-Off event. This year KTB selected two winners in the volunteer group award category and three winners in the maintenance employee award category from nominations received statewide.
"We are AAH's most active college campus in the area," said Dalia Arellano, director of Northwood University's EXCEL program on the Texas Campus. "This is a wonderful opportunity for us to receive statewide recognition and acknowledge the hard work our students have done."
Arellano and two Northwood University students, Tu Ngo and Miguel Ibarra, traveled to Austin October 30 to receive the award.
