Keep America Beautiful has presented a Lady Bird Johnson Award to Sue House of Tampa, FL as part of its 2020 National Awards Program. Sue House has been affiliated with Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful since 1991 when she became a member of the Mayor’s Beautification Committee.
The Keep America Beautiful National Awards program celebrates the work of its 700 community-based affiliates, millions of volunteers and participants, and corporate and community partners for their commitment to end littering, improve recycling, and beautify America’s communities. The Lady Bird Johnson Award is named after the former first lady for engaging our nation in recognizing that aesthetic beauty is directly related to a better quality of life and is given to outstanding volunteers for exceptional leadership with at least 10 years of experience in helping their local community.
Throughout her time with Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful, Sue House has personally worked with over 8,000 volunteers and oversaw the planting of more than 400,000 trees, shrubs, and flowers within the City of Tampa. She has watched Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful grow into the leading environmental organization it is today, and she has inspired others to make a difference in the community through simple acts of tree plantings and beautification projects.
House also created SilverSpoons & Sandcastles, Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful’s premier fundraising event. Originally, this fundraiser helped purchase trees and plants for landscape projects in conjunction with the City of Tampa Parks Department. The first event was held in 1991, as a weekend event that revolved around napkin folding, table settings, and etiquette, and generated $10,000 for the affiliate. Thanks to her continued involvement and dedication, this event has grown each year. House continues to stay involved with this event, and she served as the honorary chair for its 25th Anniversary in 2016.
As a board member for Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful, House chaired, coordinated, and helped accomplish some of the largest volunteer plantings and beautification projects in Tampa. This includes fundraising, procuring plants and trees, organizing volunteers, and feeding them when the job was done.
In the words of Sue House, “Volunteering is giving of yourself and giving back.”
Even at 83, House is a tireless worker for charities.
Photo Credit: Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful. Sue House is pictured on the left. Photo is from the 2016 SilverSpoons & Sandcastles event.