Hats Off for Twenty Years of Dedicated Service – Missouri’s Charter Adoptions

Over the past 20 years, more than 100,000 volunteers have picked up thousands of bags of litter, mowed hundreds of roadside miles, and planted countless flowers, trees and shrubs. These activities make a significant impact on the appearance of Missouri roadsides. Businesses, individuals, and community groups have adopted to help clean up Missouri. Groups have come and gone, but there are four groups that adopted in 1987 that are still in the program today and deserve our heartfelt thanks and admiration: Viva Cuba Beautification Committee. Kiwanis Club of Mountain Grove, the City of North Kansas City, and the W.E. Sears Youth Center in Poplar Bluff.

Viva Cuba Beautification Committee

The first Missouri AAH group was the Viva Cuba Beautification Committee, which adopted a section of Route 19 in Cuba since September 1987. Founded in 1984 by Peoples Bank, the beautification committee was formed to compliment the industrial development efforts in Cuba. Viva Cuba—literally meaning “long live Cuba,” was named by Percy Pascoe, owner of the Cuba Free Press. 

“We realized the importance of making our town look great to our visitors and residents alike,” said Jill Barnett of Viva Cuba. “Companies were coming to visit the town with the intention of locating in Cuba and we realized there were lots of challenges we needed to address.”

Civic leaders teamed up to spearhead many community betterment projects, including deciding to be the first Adopt-A-Highway group in Missouri.

“Before the AAH program, our adopted stretch had ditches, without sidewalks; no trees or burning bushes; weeds; and trash!” Barnett said. “Now we are complimented all the time on how clean the town looks.”

Barnett said the adoption has been a springboard for other beautification projects in the community like adopt-a-street, planting trees in the Industrial Park, planting trees at school, purchasing a "pocket park" and transforming an ugly lot into Viva Cuba Garden, participating in the Growing Together program, and purchasing new banners and Christmas pole decorations, to name a few.

W.E. Sears Youth Center

The W. E Sears Youth Center has been picking up their 3.1-mile stretch of Route 67 in the Poplar Bluff area since fall of 1987 and are still very active.

“We adopted because it was a great opportunity for community service for our program,” said Donna Nichols, facility manager from the center. “We stayed in Adopt-A-Highway for 20 years because we made a commitment to keep our adopted section clean.”

While there are many good things about the program, Nichols says her favorite thing is that participation has convinced their youth to not trash Missouri.

The City of North Kansas City

The City of North Kansas City group has kept their stretch of Route 9 in Kansas City clean and beautiful for 20 years.

“We joined the program originally because we wanted to beautify a median stretch on Route 9, and then we realized if we were going to landscape it, we needed to keep it litter free also,” said Pat Hawver, director of North Kansas City Public Works. “We knew it had to be done, and after 20 years it’s just part of the routine.”

The group first planted trees, shrubbery and flowers in the 1.4-mile median. In later years they also added more than 100 trees on both sides of Route 9 as well.

Hawver said most businesses now have an expectation that the area will be clean and look good. “They expect us to do a good job, and luckily we have high standards.”

Keeping communities clean and making a difference is what the program is all about and Hawver agrees.

“The work wouldn’t get done with adopters – so we appreciate the program for helping us take care of our portion, but also for what everyone else does as well. We all need to keep our communities cleaner and someone’s got to step up and do it.” 

Kiwanis Club of Mountain Grove

In Wright County, members of the Kiwanis Club of Mountain Grove have been picking up litter on their 2.5-mile adopted section of Route 60 since October 1987.

James Short was president of the Kiwanis Club of Mountain Grove and was passionate about MoDOT’s new Adopt-A-Highway program. Ray Bradley, the current president, said the group was excited to be the third group in the state to adopt a section of roadway because of their desire to improve the community. “We wanted that section of roadway because it covers the two main entrances to Mountain Grove and we wanted to keep it as pristine as possible,” Bradley said.

In recent years the Kiwanis partnered with the Key Club at Mountain Grove High School and become co-adopters. The student members of the Key Club now help out with the litter pick ups. “It teaches them to be involved in the community and give back through service,” Bradley said.

He said it only takes eight people about two hours to pick up all four sides of their adopted stretch and it’s a great chance for some camaraderie and community service at the same time.

The club has stayed in the program because of their dedication and the commitment they made 20 years ago. “Missouri is a beautiful state and we want to keep it that way,” said Bradley “We believe in first impressions and this is our chance to make one for Mountain Grove.”