Keep Indian River Beautiful lassoed a few environmental champions recently at a Western Shindig-themed Environmental Awards Ceremony at LaPorte Farms, where the bucolic setting underscored the importance of living in harmony with our natural surroundings. The annual KIRB awards highlight the efforts of individuals, businesses and civic clubs working to improve Indian River County.
Daisy Packer, KIRB executive director, said Laura LaPorte, a new board member, had generously offered the use of the farm, after concerns were expressed about holding the event indoors, as in years past.
In addition to being lauded for their efforts to “Keep Indian River Beautiful,” this year’s honorees also had the distinction of soldiering on through the pandemic. Although several recipients could not attend the awards ceremony – as is their nature, they were off doing good deeds elsewhere – others accepted the awards in their stead.
Indian River County Sheriff’s Office Dep. Teddy Floyd was the recipient of the Extra Mile Award for his unwavering dedication to the community, with Packer commenting that he can always be counted on to roll up his sleeves and lend a hand, no matter the challenge.
“We are grateful for Deputy Floyd, his strengths and his leadership in this community. He is the gold standard and epitomizes this Extra Mile Award,” said Packer.
Surfing’s Evolution & Preservation Foundation, a nonprofit that addresses coastal pollution and beach ecology, received the Partner of the Year Award for its consistent and reliable sponsorship of KIRB beach cleanups and increased support. Additionally, a grant from them enabled KIRB to plant 3,000 sea oats along a 1-mile stretch of dune at Sebastian Inlet Park, funded through the sale of the Endless Summer specialty license plate.
The Volunteer of the Year Award was presented to McKenzie Williams, a real “go-getter,” as evidenced by her impressive resume of volunteerism and extracurricular activities. Williams is a past recipient of the KIRB Environmental Youth Award and, at age 11, now holds the distinction of being the youngest Volunteer of the Year recipient.
Kaden Funnell was named Environmental Youth for his efforts to keep our natural environs clean, healthy and safe. “He has worked hard to be a shining example to other students. He believes that keeping our community clean is essential for our environment,” said Packer.
She added that the Sebastian River High School Future Business Leaders of America club was the recipient of the Environmental Youth Group Award for their litter cleanup efforts, in large part due to the urging of Funnell.
For its environmental efforts, the Vero Beach Yacht Club was named the 2020 Environmental Business of the Year. After adopting Spoil Island IR 25, club members collected 15 bags of trash weighing 80 pounds. The VBYC has also been identified as a Clean Marina, as defined by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and, in addition to endeavoring to recycle all glass and corrugated boxes, has transitioned away from plastic straws to the exclusive use of paper straws.
For his environmental efforts, Rene VanDeVoorde, who can often be spotted picking up litter along Roseland Boulevard, was recognized as an Environmental Champion.
The Community Builder Award was given to Rosi Stubbs for her tireless energy working to improve schools, provide aid to teachers, organize fundraisers, and coordinate volunteers to maintain the Winter Beach Historical Cemetery. Packer said Stubbs is “more than a pillar in this community. She is the foundation.”
The Tiki Company received the Recycling Excellence Award for its use of recycled materials. More than 8,000 pounds of re-used paint and 100 percent recycled wood are used to create Tiki sign art, reducing the amount of wood ending up in the landfill by an estimated 15,000 pounds.
“We want to remind people that the environment doesn’t stop at those areas that we want to preserve, like the beaches and the lagoon,” said Packer. “The environment follows us into our communities. It follows us into our neighborhoods. It’s everything that we are a part of, and it’s a part of our lives at all times.”
Packer said KIRB is making a renewed effort to do more to “enhance our community environment by uplifting our residents, beautifying our neighborhoods and promoting sustainability. That way, we can take on new tasks, new programs and really do a lot of new partnerships. We’re really excited about that direction and how you all can work with us in the future.”
KIRB continued its work during the pandemic by transitioning away from big-event cleanups to having people contact KIRB for supplies before organizing their own group cleanups and environmental activities.
During the event, attendees also visited with the animals that call LaPorte Farms home, rode the mechanical bull, bid on auction items, and enjoyed a barbecue dinner and dancing to George Clarke’s lively country tunes.
For more information, visit keepindianriverbeautiful.org.
Photos by Kaila Jones
