Backstreet Boy Richardson The 'Envi' Of Kentucky
Source: Yahoo Daily News (5/15/01, 10 a.m. ET) --
Backstreet Boy Kevin Richardson was honored at the first Envi Awards ceremony at the Center For Rural Development in Somerset, Kentucky, on Saturday (May 12). Richardson was singled out for establishing his Just Within Reach environmental foundation last year. A Lexington native, he was named the first recipient of the Kentucky Personal Responsibility In A Desirable Environment (PRIDE) Award. However, Richardson was unable to personally attend the ceremony, but his mother Ann and brother Jerald accepted the award on his behalf.
Karen Engle, executive director for PRIDE, told LAUNCH, "In December, Kevin formed Just Within Reach, and his organization has made a personal commitment with this foundation to make Kentucky a better place to live. He hasn't forgotten his roots and we're very proud he's a Kentuckian. PRIDE serves a 40-county area within Kentucky and he's from Estill County, which is part of that area."
Engle added that Richardson received the PRIDE Award because of "his
leadership, and by inspiring others to get involved, and that's also what PRIDE is doing. Kevin can go a long way by inspiring our youth to get involved. That's why we felt it was so important for Kevin Richardson to get the first Personal Responsibility In A Desirable Environment Award--because our organization has the same goals as his organization."
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (news - web sites) administrator
Christine Todd Whitman (news - web sites) was on hand to honor Richardson and others who helped clean up the environment in the local area, including East Kentucky Power Cooperative, Johns Creek Elementary School, A.J. Lloyd Middle School, Williamsburg High School, and Menifee County PRIDE Coordinator Carolyn Ingram, who was named volunteer of the year.
PRIDE was created to focus people's attention on the pollution problems in the southern and eastern portions of Kentucky, and to find solutions to clean up and stop water and trash pollution, as well as to educate youth about what they can do to help.
-- Jason Gelman, New York