Since 1948, Future Farmers of America chapters at schools across the country have celebrated “National FFA Week” during the week of Washington’s Birthday, in recognition of our first president’s legacy as an agriculturist and farmer. The Nimitz High School FFA chapter chose to kick off the week by partnering with Keep Irving Beautiful (KIB) and the Parks Department for a service project at Trinity View Park.  Also participating in the event were North Lake College students from both the Service Learning Program and the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society.  In total, 37 adult and teen volunteers gave 148 hours of service on Saturday, February 21, in a project which involved both painting and collecting litter.  Volunteers who were on the cleanup teams collected over 234 pounds of trash and recyclables from different areas of the park.  The paint crews gave a fresh coat of yellow paint to the handrails and boundary markers at the football fields, and brightened up the nearby pavilion with green paint. 

“As a former member of FFA myself, I am proud that the Nimitz group decided to work with us again this year,” said KIB Board Member Arnold Martin.  “FFA Week involves a number of activities that promote the organization while emphasizing education and giving back to the community through service projects.  Inviting the North Lake students to join in was a great idea, and it was nice to see everyone working together to make the park a nicer place for the many people who visit.”

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.