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Keep Irving Beautiful and Irving Public Library Christmas Card Project Sets Record

 

IRVING, TEXAS — The 4th annual “Christmas Cards for Seniors” project, a partnership between Keep Irving Beautiful (KIB) and the Irving Public Library, set a record with nearly 1,300 Christmas cards collected. Volunteers were encouraged to create or purchase Christmas cards to be delivered to local nursing home residents. Cards could be dropped off at the KIB office or any of the three Irving Public Library locations. The initiative brought together a diverse group of volunteers, contributing to the record number of cards collected for seniors in Irving.

 

Special thanks go to the following who helped make the holiday season merry and bright for our seniors: Mayor Rick Stopfer and his wife Melanie; Irving Girl Scout Troops 1810, 6457 and 6458; City of Irving after-school programs at Georgia Farrow, Lee and Northwest Recreation Centers and the Adult Day Therapeutic Program; Nimitz High School; Irving High School AVID students; Lamar Middle School; Coppell High School 9th Grade Center; Lively Elementary School; and the many individuals who anonymously dropped off cards at library locations. In addition, the Nimitz Floral Department donated 60 ornaments made by students.

 

“We were overwhelmed by the support we received from the Irving community the first time we did this card campaign in 2021,” said KIB Board member Karen Harmon.   “The number of cards has increased each year, and this allows us to deliver more cards to more residents in assisted living facilities here in Irving.  The seniors love getting them, and on their behalf, we thank everyone who contributed.”

 

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Keep Irving Beautiful is a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating the community about litter abatement, recycling, and beautification to help preserve the health and promote the social and economic prosperity of the city. As an award-winning affiliate of Keep America Beautiful and Keep Texas Beautiful, Keep Irving Beautiful reaches out to all sectors of the community, including government, businesses, churches, as well as cultural, educational, neighborhood and civic organizations. For more information on volunteering with KIB or making an activity a “green event,” visit CityofIrving.org/KIB or call (972) 721-2175.

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International Paper Partners with Keep Irving Beautiful

to Celebrate National Public Lands Day

 

 

(IRVING, TEXAS)— On Sept. 28, Keep Irving Beautiful (KIB) welcomed 16 International Paper employee and family volunteers to Running Bear Park, 2601 S. Story Road, for a National Public Lands Day event.  Volunteers helped beautify the popular park by painting the metal safety fencing near the playground and conducting a cleanup of the park. The results were a fresh look to the fence and 100 pounds of litter collected, with 50 pounds being recyclable. The group’s combined efforts contributed a total of 48 volunteer service hours to KIB.

 

National Public Lands Day (NPLD) is the nation’s largest single-day volunteer event for public lands, held annually on the fourth Saturday in September. Since 1994, NPLD has brought together hundreds of thousands of volunteers to help restore America’s public lands. This project was coordinated through a partnership with the National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF).

 

International Paper (IP), founded in 1898, is the world’s largest pulp and paper company.  Volunteers at this event came from three different facilities in the area.

 

“Keep Irving Beautiful is always happy to welcome corporate partners to Irving parks,” said KIB board member Kelly Horn. “We appreciate that International Paper chose KIB as a community partner for their National Public Lands Day project.”

 

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Keep Irving Beautiful is a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating the community about litter abatement, recycling, and beautification to help preserve the health and promote the social and economic prosperity of the city. As an award-winning affiliate of Keep America Beautiful and Keep Texas Beautiful, Keep Irving Beautiful reaches out to all sectors of the community, including government, businesses, churches, as well as cultural, educational, neighborhood and civic organizations. For more information on volunteering with KIB or making an activity a “green event,” visit CityofIrving.org/KIB or call (972) 721-2175.

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KIB Partners with Vizient for 21st Annual Community Day

 

 

(IRVING, TEXAS)— On Oct. 8, Keep Irving Beautiful (KIB) welcomed 34 Vizient, Inc. employee volunteers to Northwest Park, 2800 Cheyenne Street, for the company’s 21st annual “Community Day” event. Employees brought a fresh look to the park bridge and safety fencing by brightening the structures with a new coat of blue paint.  The group’s combined efforts contributed a total of 102 volunteer service hours to KIB.

 

Irving-based Vizient, Inc., is the largest member-owned health care company in the nation.  Community Day is a coordinated company-wide initiative which encourages employees to participate in service projects with nonprofits in the areas where they work.  Last year’s Community Day had 2,310 Vizient employees participate at 297 nonprofit organizations across 193 cities throughout the country, accounting for 12,334 volunteer hours.

 

KIB has been a community partner since 2009, and Vizient employee volunteers have completed several beautification projects throughout the City of Irving. Their efforts have made a lasting and positive impact on the visual appearance of many Irving parks.

 

“Keep Irving Beautiful looks forward to Vizient Community Day every year,” said KIB board member Scott Wilson. “It’s an honor to be chosen as a community partner, and we really appreciate that so many of the Vizient employees choose to volunteer with KIB year after year.  They always do an outstanding job, and we thank them for taking the time to give back to Irving.”

 

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Keep Irving Beautiful is a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating the community about litter abatement, recycling, and beautification to help preserve the health and promote the social and economic prosperity of the city. As an award-winning affiliate of Keep America Beautiful and Keep Texas Beautiful, Keep Irving Beautiful reaches out to all sectors of the community, including government, businesses, churches, as well as cultural, educational, neighborhood and civic organizations. For more information on volunteering with KIB or making an activity a “green event,” visit CityofIrving.org/KIB or call (972) 721-2175.

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KIB Celebrates 33rd Annual Trash Bash at T.W. Richardson Grove

438 Volunteers Participate

 

(IRVING, TEXAS)— T.W. Richardson Grove Park, 333 E. Interstate Highway 635, was the site of the Keep Irving Beautiful (KIB) 33rd Annual Trash Bash, the organization’s signature cleanup event. A total of 438 volunteers gathered at the park on Sept. 28, with a focus of stopping litter from reaching the nearby Elm Fork of the Trinity River. The volunteers totaled 1,289 hours of service and collected 2,120 pounds of trash and 420 pounds of recyclables.

 

Mayor Rick Stopfer officially proclaimed Sept. 28 as “Trash Bash Day in Irving.”  The event also was part of National Public Lands Day when thousands of volunteers engaged in similar projects across the country.

 

KIB partnered with Crisis Ministries of Irving for their annual canned food drive during the city’s Trash Bash event. Volunteers who brought non-perishable food donations received a KIB Trash Bash T-shirt.  Crisis Ministries volunteers 521 pounds of food were collected to benefit the local community.

 

Following the cleanup, volunteers from Nueva Vida Church prepared and served beef and veggie hot dogs, and chips were donated by Frito-Lay.   KIB volunteers also served a variety of I Fratelli pizzas to the hungry crowd.

 

During the event, attendees had the opportunity to visit a variety of vendors at the park. The City of Irving Water Utilities not only provided all the water for the volunteers, but also shared fun facts about water conservation at their table.  Volunteers could practice their disc golf skills, courtesy of DiscGames, get their faces painted, receive a balloon animal, or play at the bubble station.  Girl Scout Service Unit 123, Irving Flood Control District III. and WellMed all had information tables.  The Irving Public Library returned for a third year to present three performances of a puppet show.  The City of Irving Urban Forestry team helped volunteers pot tree seedlings to take home, and Parks and Recreation Aquatics lifeguards were in charge of the first aid station.  A new addition to the event was live music from Arpan Barua at the pavilion.

 

Several City of Irving departments helped make Trash Bash a success, including Parks and Recreation, Solid Waste Services, Water Utilities and Communications.  The Singley Academy Police Explorers directed traffic and kept the parking procedure safe and efficient. The Young Men’s Service League – Irving Hawks Chapter distributed supplies and helped with sign-in at the registration tables.

      

KIB Board President Jim Scrivner shared his thoughts about the event. “The annual Trash Bash is KIB’s biggest volunteer event, and has been held every year since 1992,” said Scrivner.  “It is an outstanding opportunity for volunteers to work together to help make our community cleaner and greener.  On behalf of the KIB Board and staff, I want to thank everyone who contributed in making this event a success.”

 

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Keep Irving Beautiful is a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating the community about litter abatement, recycling, and beautification to help preserve the health and promote the social and economic prosperity of the city. As an award-winning affiliate of Keep America Beautiful and Keep Texas Beautiful, Keep Irving Beautiful reaches out to all sectors of the community, including government, businesses, churches, as well as cultural, educational, neighborhood and civic organizations. For more information on volunteering with KIB or making an activity a “green event,” visit CityofIrving.org/284/Keep-Irving-Beautiful or call (972) 721-2175.

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Keep Irving Beautiful Partners with Pacific Dental Services for Serve Day

Group Conducts Cleanup at T.W. Richardson Grove Park

 

 

(IRVING, TEXAS)— Keep Irving Beautiful (KIB) recently partnered with Pacific Dental Services (PDS), a leading national dental support organization, for a cleanup at T.W. Richardson Grove Park,  333 E. I-635, on August 17.  Volunteers from Irving PDS started their day of service at the park early Saturday morning. Working in small groups, the team helped collect litter to prevent it from reaching the nearby Elm Fork of the Trinity River.

 

Once complete the team of 12 collected 56 pounds of trash and recyclable materials.

 

This event was part of Pacific Dental Services’ 14th annual “Serve Day,” an initiative to provide donated dental care to underserved patients, as well as engage their employees in offices across the country in local service projects.

 

“This is the second year we have partnered with Pacific Dental Services for their Serve Day,” said KIB Board member Karen Harmon. “The employee volunteers were a pleasure to work with.  This was a great example of how Irving’s corporate community gives back, and we look forward to participating in Serve Day again next year.”

 

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Keep Irving Beautiful is a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating the community about litter abatement, recycling, and beautification to help preserve the health and promote the social and economic prosperity of the city. As an award-winning affiliate of Keep America Beautiful and Keep Texas Beautiful, Keep Irving Beautiful reaches out to all sectors of the community, including government, businesses, churches, as well as cultural, educational, neighborhood and civic organizations. For more information on volunteering with KIB or making an activity a “green event,” visit CityofIrving.org/KIB or call (972) 721-2175.

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KIB to Celebrate 33rd Annual Trash Bash

Volunteers Invited to Register Online or Participate Remotely

 

(IRVING, TEXAS)—  Keep Irving Beautiful (KIB) will celebrate the 33rd  Annual Trash Bash from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Sept. 28 at T.W. Richardson Grove Park, 333 E. Interstate Highway 635. Volunteers will focus their efforts on North Campion Trail and surrounding area, with the goal of keeping litter from reaching the Elm Fork of the Trinity River. The cleanup will be held on National Public Lands Day, traditionally the nation’s largest single-day volunteer event, and will be part of Keep Texas Beautiful’s “Fall Sweep.”

 

KIB will provide litter pickers, gloves, trash and recycle bags. In addition to the cleanup, volunteers will have the opportunity to experience a variety of educational and entertaining offerings.  They will be able to learn about reptiles and water conservation, participate in STEM activities, play disc golf, enjoy a puppet show or visit the face painting and balloon art area.  Lunch, including a vegetarian option, will be served after the cleanup.

 

Volunteers are encouraged to bring canned or other nonperishable food items to benefit Crisis Ministries of Irving Food Pantry in downtown Irving. Those who donate will receive a T-shirt, while supplies last.

 

Additionally, volunteers can conduct their own cleanups at a safe Irving location of their choice to “virtually” participate in the event. Groups should report their cleanup efforts to KIB by posting pictures and data on their social media pages using #IrvingTrashBash2024.  Online registration is not required for the virtual option.

 

“Our tradition of holding the Trash Bash in conjunction with National Public Lands Day the statewide Fall Sweep makes our volunteers feel that they are part of a much bigger picture,” said KIB President Jim Scrivner.  “While our primary goal is to pick up litter and keep it from reaching the waterway, the addition of educational and interactive activities will make this event more than just a cleanup. We encourage Irving residents to join us at T.W. Richardson Grove, or for those who are participating remotely, we look forward to seeing their photos on social media.”

 

Residents participating in the T.W. Richardson Grove Park cleanup should register online by Saturday, Sept. 20 . For more information, visit cityofirving.org/KIB, or call the KIB office at (972) 721-2175.

 

Keep Irving Beautiful is a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating the community about litter abatement, recycling, and beautification to help preserve the health and promote the social and economic prosperity of the city. As an award-winning affiliate of Keep America Beautiful and Keep Texas Beautiful, Keep Irving Beautiful reaches out to all sectors of the community, including government, businesses, churches, as well as cultural, educational, neighborhood and civic organizations. For more information on volunteering with KIB or making an activity a “green event,” visit CityofIrving.org/KIB or call (972) 721-2175.

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KEEP IRVING BEAUTIFUL PRESENTS ANNUAL AWARDS

Local Community Members Honored at Ceremony

 

(IRVING, TEXAS)— The annual Mayor and Keep Irving Beautiful (KIB) Awards ceremony was held on August 5 at the Jack D. Huffman Community Building.   Guests entered the venue to the sounds of beautiful harp music provided by Becky Scherschell, then were greeted and signed in by Elouise McMillian and Karen Harmon. Mike Sanders of Spirit Grille catered the appetizer buffet, and T.J. Friedel provided photography for the event.  Irving Community Television Network was present to interview guests for a future story.  Attendees also had the opportunity to tour the Irving Archives and Museum prior to the ceremony. 

KIB President Jim Scrivner began the ceremony by providing a brief overview of KIB’s accomplishments during the past year, including the President’s Circle and National Innovation Awards from Keep America Beautiful, and the Gold Star, Sustained Excellence and Beautify Texas Awards from Keep Texas Beautiful.  He gave special recognition to Margie Stipes, who earlier in the year had received the highest honor from Keep America Beautiful – the Lady Bird Johnson Award as outstanding volunteer in the nation. KIB also received the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) “Environmental Excellence” Award in the Education category, and was a finalist in D Magazine’s D-CEO Nonprofit Awards.

Cathy Whiteman, returning as emcee for the thirteenth consecutive year, and Honorary Chair Mayor Rick Stopfer presented the following awards:

Youth Leadership Award:  Jack E. Singley Academy National Honor Society

Educator Award:  Demond Spiller, Nimitz High School

Educator Award:  Dr. Ticiano Alegre, Dallas College - North Lake 

Business and Industry Award:  Po' Melvin's Restaurant

Business and Industry Award:  Westin Hotel - Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas

Media Award:  Irving Police Department Media Outreach Team

Faith Group Award:  First Methodist Church of Irving

Civic Organization Award:  Dallas Everest Lions Club

Government Award:  Capital Improvement Program Building Services

Civil Servant Award:  Irving Police Department Homeless Outreach Team

KIB Hometown Award:  Mike Serapio

Margie Stipes Lifetime Achievement Award:  Christina Winters

“Keep Irving Beautiful is honored to have the opportunity to pay tribute to these award winners, but also to all the volunteers and sponsors who allow our organization to accomplish what we do,” said Scrivner. “This is a special evening for us, and the KIB Board members and staff look forward to this every year.”

Keep Irving Beautiful is a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating the community about litter abatement, recycling, and beautification to help preserve the health and promote the social and economic prosperity of the city. As an award-winning affiliate of Keep America Beautiful and Keep Texas Beautiful, KIB reaches out to all sectors of the community, including government, businesses, churches, as well as cultural, educational, neighborhood and civic organizations. For more information on volunteering with KIB or making an activity a “green event,” visit CityofIrving.org/284/Keep-Irving-Beautiful or call (972) 721-2175.

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(IRVING, TEXAS)— On July 2, Keep Irving Beautiful (KIB) welcomed a group of Girl Scouts to Lively Park, 909 N. O’Connor Road, for a beautification service project.  The team consisted of scouts from Irving and girls from troops outside the city who are all part of a travel club.  After receiving safety guidelines and instructions, they applied a fresh coat of paint to the metal safety handrails leading to the trails, and those next to the Lively Pointe Youth Center. 

 

“Our partnership with the Girl Scouts from Service Unit 123 here in Irving has had such a positive impact on our organization,” said KIB Board member Karen Harmon. “We always enjoy working with them, and today it was a pleasure to also welcome scouts from other areas to Irving.  Everyone did a great job with the painting.”

 

The seven scouts and two adult sponsors gave 18 hours of service, helping to make this popular park even more inviting and beautiful for the many people who visit.

 

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Keep Irving Beautiful is a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating the community about litter abatement, recycling, and beautification to help preserve the health and promote the social and economic prosperity of the city. As an award-winning affiliate of Keep America Beautiful and Keep Texas Beautiful, Keep Irving Beautiful reaches out to all sectors of the community, including government, businesses, churches, as well as cultural, educational, neighborhood and civic organizations. For more information on volunteering with KIB or making an activity a “green event,” visit, CityofIrving.org/KIB or call (972) 721-2175.

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Keep Irving Beautiful Recognized as Gold Star Affiliate by Keep Texas Beautiful

IRVING, TX - Keep Texas Beautiful (KTB), a statewide grassroots environmental and community improvement non-profit organization, recently named Keep Irving Beautiful (KIB) a Gold Star Affiliate. Gold Star recognition is the highest membership recognition status any community affiliate can achieve.

“Keep Texas Beautiful affiliates are the backbone of our organization. We are proud to honor those going above and beyond to keep their communities clean and beautiful,” says Suzanne Kho, Executive Director of Keep Texas Beautiful. “Our Gold Star Affiliates are educating and engaging community members, actively recruiting and managing

volunteers, hosting cleanup and beautification events throughout their community, and so much more.”

In 2023, KTB affiliates engaged over 32,000 volunteers in over 500 cleanups who contributed to collecting 3.7 million pounds of waste and recyclables from Texas roadways, trails, and waterways.  Keep Irving Beautiful successfully implemented programs to clean up litter, reduce and recycle waste, educate local citizens, and their work beautifies and enhances the local community.

 

As Irving ‘s local affiliate of Keep Texas Beautiful, KIB hosted activities which engaged 8,049 volunteers who contributed 10,847 hours of service.  They collected 25,746 pounds of trash and 7,909 pounds of recyclables in cleanups, enhanced the visual appeal of several parks with paint projects, and helped to plant 38 trees in public spaces.

 

KIB Board President Jim Scrivner credited volunteers for the success of the organization.  “KIB accomplishes so much in the Irving community, and it is important to us to strive for the highest levels of achievement.  We could not do that without the dedication of our volunteers,” said Scrivner.  “We are proud to be a Keep Texas Beautiful affiliate, and we thank KTB for this honor.”

 

Affiliates that reach Gold Star status have demonstrated organizational aptitude and have robust community support. To achieve Gold Star status, affiliates share their mission and goals, answer questions about their economic development and diversity and inclusion practices, or participate in the Beautify Texas Awards or Governor’s Community Achievement Awards programs. They also provide a letter of support from their community. KTB will formally recognize Gold Star communities during the KTB Conference in June.

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About Keep Irving Beautiful

 

Keep Irving Beautiful is a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating the community about litter abatement, recycling, and beautification to help preserve the health and promote the social and economic prosperity of the city. As an award-winning affiliate of Keep America Beautiful and Keep Texas Beautiful, Keep Irving Beautiful reaches out to all sectors of the community, including government, businesses, churches, as well as cultural, educational, neighborhood and civic organizations. For more information on volunteering with KIB or making an activity a “green event,” visit CityofIrving.org/KIB or call (972) 721-2175.

 

About Keep Texas Beautiful

 

Keep Texas Beautiful (KTB) is a non-profit organization dedicated to making Texas the best place to live, work, and play! Our mission is to inspire and empower Texans to make their communities clean and beautiful. We provide resources for community improvement projects, clean-ups, and youth engagement efforts across the state. Our Keep Texas Recycling program provides technical assistance, education, and access to markets to increase recycling in rural and underserved communities.

Everything we do is focused on mobilizing volunteers to take action by providing them with tools, resources, and training. Our fieldwork includes research on best practices for litter reduction along with the development of community programs to prevent the flow of litter to the Gulf of Mexico.

Founded in 1967, Keep Texas Beautiful’s work is driven by its network of affiliate members, communities, volunteers, and supporters that span the state, and reach 17 million Texans annually.

For more information and to find your closest affiliate, visit www.ktb.org. Follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

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Keep Irving Beautiful Visits Heritage Senior Center for Art Project

 

 

(IRVING, TEXAS)— On May 22, Keep Irving Beautiful (KIB) staff visited the Heritage Senior Center (HSC), 200 S. Jefferson St., for a birdhouse painting project with the seniors. The seniors gathered in the crafts room and spent the morning flexing their artistic talents and creativity.

 

HSC Recreation Specialist T.J. Friedel organizes different craft projects for the seniors to sign up for each month.  “We appreciate KIB for coming out today and bringing the birdhouses,” said Friedel.  “This is the first of many art projects we hope to do with them.  Having the birdhouses to paint was a nice change, and the participants really enjoyed it.”

 

“KIB has had an ongoing relationship with the HSC for many years,” said KIB Board member Rachel Moon. “We enjoy visiting the center on a regular basis to promote KIB activities and programs or participate in special events.  It’s an important part of our outreach that extends to all ages here in Irving.”

 

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Keep Irving Beautiful is a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating the community about litter abatement, recycling, and beautification to help preserve the health and promote the social and economic prosperity of the city. As an award-winning affiliate of Keep America Beautiful and Keep Texas Beautiful, Keep Irving Beautiful reaches out to all sectors of the community, including government, businesses, churches, as well as cultural, educational, neighborhood and civic organizations. For more information on volunteering with KIB or making an activity a “green event,” visit, CityofIrving.org/KIB or call (972) 721-2175.