Hutto, TX, April 17, 2019– Keep Texas Beautiful (KTB), a statewide grassroots environmental and community improvement non-profit organization, recently named Keep Hutto Beautiful a Gold Star Affiliate, a designation granted to 85 affiliates of KTB’s nearly 300 affiliates. Gold Star recognition is the membership recognition highest status any community affiliate can achieve.

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To remain in good standing with KTB, community affiliates must submit a report, pay dues, attend training and participate in a KTB-endorsed activity annually. In 2004, the organization introduced the concept of Gold Star recognition to reward those communities who sought to go above and beyond the established requirements.  To achieve this status, affiliates must share information on their mission and goals, answer questions about their economic development and diversity and inclusion practices, or participate in the Keep Texas Beautiful Awards or Governor’s Community Achievement Awards programs, and provide a letter of support from their community.  KTB will formally recognize Gold Star communities during its 52nd Annual Conference in Rockwall, which will be held June 18-20, 2019.

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“We are proud to honor our most active affiliates who have such a large impact on their communities,” says Suzanne Kho, Executive Director of Keep Texas Beautiful. “Our Gold Star Affiliates are educating and engaging the community, actively recruiting and managing volunteers, hosting beautification events throughout their community and so much more. They deserve this great honor!”

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In 2018 alone, KTB affiliates and their local volunteers contributed 198,304 hours to collect more than 4.2 million pounds of waste and recyclables, including 167,689 pounds of electronics and 6,293 pounds of tires.  Keep Hutto Beautiful successfully implemented programs to clean up litter, reduce and recycle waste, educate local citizens and beautify and enhance the Hutto Community.

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Hutto also received second place in the 2019 Governor’s Community Achievement Awards (GCAA). Since 1985, Keep Texas Beautiful has partnered with TxDOT to support its anti-litter and beautification programs such as Don’t mess with Texas Trash-Off and the Governor’s Community Achievement Awards. The GCAA program has recognized outstanding communities for more than 50 years, with TxDOT providing landscape funding since 1986.  The awards recognize the best grassroots environmental programs in the state and are awarded in 10 different population categories. Every community in Texas is eligible to apply for a Governor’s Community Achievement Award. A community’s environmental program is judged on achievements in seven different areas: community leadership and coordination, education, public awareness, litter prevention and cleanup, litter law and illegal dumping enforcement, beautification and community improvement and solid waste management.