A gallon of fresh paint can go a long way in beautifying a community.
In fact, 52 total projects will be executed by 39 different groups across the state of Oklahoma during this year’s Fresh Paint Days, a program founded on the collaboration between H-I-S Coatings, with the help of additional sponsors, and Keep America Beautiful state affiliate Keep Oklahoma Beautiful (KOB).
Fresh Paint Days is designed to encourage volunteers to seek out community structures and renovate them with the creative use of resources. Keep Oklahoma Beautiful provides the paint and a stipend for supplies; selected communities supply the volunteers and elbow grease. This program has helped to revitalize communities across Oklahoma with a fresh coat of paint.
“It is so encouraging to see the many individuals across the state who have a heart for bettering their communities,” said Natalie Evans, the project coordinator for KOB, who works with potential participants throughout the application process. “These participants truly exemplify the spirit of Oklahoma, which was founded on hard work and a positive community outlook. Fresh Paint Days is a wonderful opportunity for these communities to work together to better their environment.”
Joe Cox, the CEO and president of H-I-S Coatings, has been helping to make Fresh Paint Days a reality for over a decade.
“We have proudly partnered with Keep Oklahoma Beautiful for 11 years, providing roughly 11,000 gallons of paint to help communities in Oklahoma fill budget gaps,” Cox said. “It’s been an honor to help the small communities in Oklahoma over the years.”
The groups have approximately a month to complete their projects using donated paint from H-I-S Coatings of Oklahoma City, and additional funding from a Keep America Beautiful/Anheuser-Busch grant, the Public Service Company of Oklahoma, and the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality.
This year’s participants are the Anadarko Chamber of Commerce, Apache Chamber of Commerce & Agriculture, Asbury 2nd Saturday, Cheyenne High School BPA, Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, City of Anadarko, City of Chickasha, City of Thomas, City of Wilburton, Collinsville Downtown, Inc., Delaware Nation, El Reno Chamber of Commerce, Erick Ambulance Service, Frederick Main Street, Inc., Girl Scouts of Eastern Oklahoma, Haileyville Pride, Historic Shawnee Alliance, Keep Boley Beautiful, Keep Marshall County Beautiful, Lake Crest Estates, Locust Grove Oklahoma Area Chamber of Commerce, Main Street Duncan, Inc., Maysville Community, Neighborhood Solutions, Okeene Historic Preservation Group, Pride in McAlester, Pryor Main Street, Inc., Pushmataha Chamber of Commerce, Taloga Senior Citizens, Team Up to Clean Up, Town of Avant, Town of Clayton, Town of Earlsboro Community Development, Town of Langley, Town of Stratford, Twin Cities Revitalization Project, Wagoner Switch District, Wilburton Main Street, and Woodward Main Street.
“Fresh Paint Days has a great impact on preserving the character of Oklahoma communities. It’s great to see communities come together and join resources to restore community structures and community pride. PSO is proud to support their efforts,” said John Harper, vice president external affairs, PSO.
Four groups were also selected as recipients of John Deere pressure washers, thanks to the generosity of CL Boyd. These groups include the El Reno Chamber of Commerce, the City of Chickasha, Erick Ambulance Service, and Keep Marshall County Beautiful.
The 39 groups will compete for the “Best Visual Impact Award” through the ‘Communities Primed for Change’ online contest. Finalists will be chosen based upon their ‘before’ and ‘after’ photos. Winners will be announced at the Keep Oklahoma Beautiful 26th Annual Environmental Excellence Awards Celebration on Nov. 17, 2016.
Keep Oklahoma Beautiful is a statewide nonprofit with a mission to empower Oklahoma citizens to preserve and enhance the state’s natural beauty and ensure a healthy, sustainable environment.