Keep Broken Arrow Beautiful Wins 2022 Affiliate of the Year Award

KBAB, City of Broken Arrow named finalists in three categories.

Keep Broken Arrow Beautiful, a Broken Arrow community organization, was announced as the winner of the Affiliate of the Year Award during the 2022 Environmental Excellence Celebration annual banquet in Oklahoma City on Friday, November 18, 2022.

The Environmental Excellence Celebration is hosted by Keep Oklahoma Beautiful to showcase people and organizations who provide hope in Oklahoma communities for a sustainable, more beautiful future.

“We have a super synergy going in the city of Broken Arrow right now. We work together on all the projects that we do,” said Sharon Atcheson, Keep Broken Arrow Beautiful Chairperson. “It’s just amazing when we pull together as a community what we can do.”

Keep Broken Arrow Beautiful was one of four finalists for the Affiliate of the Year Award. The organization won for fulfilling its affiliate requirements, participating in the Great American Cleanup and Paint Oklahoma Beautiful events, and its contribution with the Voyage Solar System Walkway project.

Earlier this year, more than 400 volunteers took part in the Trash Bash and Recycling Rally event that focuses on beautifying Broken Arrow by encouraging citizens to come together to pick up trash from roads and waterways, as well as drop-off hard-to-recycle items. Trash Bash and Recycling Rally is a partnership among City of Broken Arrow, Keep Broken Arrow Beautiful, and The Metropolitan Environmental Trust.

“I could not be more proud of the efforts of the volunteers who lead Keep Broken Arrow Beautiful,” said Broken Arrow City Manager Michael Spurgeon. “The members of KBAB are strong, civic-minded individuals who are passionate about preserving our city through programs and initiatives which promote a clean, safe, and beautiful community that enhances the quality of life for our residents and visitors alike.”

Keep Broken Arrow Beautiful was also a finalist in the Great American Cleanup category.

Additionally, the City of Broken Arrow was named a finalist in the Team Builders Government Projects category for its involvement with Keep Broken Arrow Beautiful and Broken Arrow Public Schools on the Voyage Solar System Walkway. The exhibition is a 1 to 10-billion-scale solar system model and is now on permanent display on Albany Street between 9th Street and 23rd Street.

“Anytime we have an opportunity to work together on a project, we’re always willing to lend a helping hand because the outreach to our citizens is greater when entities work together,” said Rocky Henkel, Director of Streets and Stormwater for the City of Broken Arrow.

Henkel’s team collaborated on the construction of the Voyage Solar System Walkway project and completed the installation of the exhibit.