ALTON/GODFREY - A special volunteer was recently recognized for his dedication to keeping the community clean.
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Robert Lack, age 8, was awarded the Outstanding Citizen Award at the Pride, Inc. Annual Celebration last weekend. Lack has spent the last five years picking up trash every time he takes a walk with his family.
“I don’t want the earth to be polluted,” Lack explained. “One day when I was walking with my dad when I was 3 years old, we saw trash and we decided to pick it up. And every time we went for a walk, we would grab our grabbers and a trash bag and start picking up the street.”
Pride, Inc. has many beautification initiatives throughout Godfrey and Alton. Pat Stewart, president of Pride, Inc., explained that the organization held their Annual Celebration as a way to recognize community members who go out of their way to improve the Riverbend region.
Lack has been on their radar for five years, and Stewart was ecstatic to honor him with an award. She explained that Lack’s father often emails her with statistics about how much trash Lack has picked up. The entire organization is proud of the 8-year-old.
“He’s just a bright star. I called him the future president of Pride Beautification,” Stewart said. “I’d love to see where his world, his life, takes him, because he’s definitely a very ambitious young man.”
Lack’s entire family accompanied him to the award ceremony. He was shocked when his name was called, and Stewart said he “had a smile from ear to ear” for the rest of the evening.
“I couldn’t speak,” Lack remembered. “I was speechless.”
Pride, Inc. also recognized Rusty Wheat and Nancy Pulizos with Outstanding Citizens Awards. Crystal Roemer received the Award of Achievement, and Cory Jobe and Great Rivers and Routes received the Presidents’ Award. Dale and Carol Neudecker, a couple in their 90s, received the Legacy Award and took a picture with Lack that evening.
“Trash knows no age,” Stewart remarked.
She encourages more adults to teach their kids the importance of not littering, and she commended Lack and his parents, who said the cleanup has become “a family affair.” Three-year-old J.D. is even starting to follow in his big brother’s footsteps and helps Lack pick up trash on their family walks.
A second grader at St. Ambrose Catholic School, Lack encouraged his classmates to get involved in the recent Pride, Inc. City Wide Litter Cleanup. His mother helped organize a group of students and parents from St. Ambrose to participate in the spring cleanup last month.
Lack is currently working to recruit other kids to help him in his mission. He hopes to work with more local schools to encourage litter pickup. But he has an important message for all community members to remember.
“I want them to not litter,” he said. “Instead of littering, pick up the trash.”
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