Source: Launch.com
(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 administrator Christine Todd Whitman
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
May 16,2001
