Keep Irving Beautiful (KIB) partnered with the Irving Family YMCA to help make their annual Fall Festival a “Green Event” on Friday, October 23.  The heavy rains forced the event to move indoors, but that did not dampen the spirit of the attendees or the five North Lake College Service Learning students who were there to volunteer.  KIB provided recycling stations throughout the building, and students helped monitor the recycling and also kept the areas litter-free.   KIB had an information table with a spinning wheel where attendees of all ages answered questions about recycling and the environment and won prizes of recycled books, donated by one of KIB’s partners, the Friends of the Irving Public Library.  Students also dressed as recycling mascot “Buddy the Blue Bag” and joined fellow mascot Chuck E. Cheese in line dancing and Zumba.  The theme for this year’s festival was “DC and Marvel Comics,” so there were many superheroes like Batman, Spiderman and Captain America roaming the grounds, and even villains like Poison Ivy made an appearance.

   “Keep Irving Beautiful was excited to be invited to participate by such a worthy organization and great partner like the Irving Family YMCA,” said KIB staff member Julie Schmitt.  “We have been coming to the Fall Festival event for several years, and it’s a fun experience for everyone who attends.  Our student volunteers enjoy seeing the children and adults in all their costumes, and appreciate the different types of opportunities they have to help out.” 

     Keep Irving Beautiful is a non-profit, grassroots, leadership organization dedicated to educating our community about litter abatement, recycling, and beautification in order to help preserve the health and promote the social and economic prosperity of our city. As an award winning affiliate of Keep America Beautiful and Keep Texas Beautiful, Keep Irving Beautiful reaches out to and partners with all sectors of our city including government, business, church, cultural, educational, neighborhood and civic organizations.  If you are interested in volunteering with KIB, or making your activity a “green event,” please go to www.keepirvingbeautiful.org, or call the KIB office at 972-721-2175.