Eight members of the community were honored, May 21, by the Austin Green Team for the tireless work to improve their neighborhoods. Eight names were immortalized on individual bricks, a tradition at the annual Memorial Garden ceremony which takes place each May. Those eight names will join the roll of previous year’s honorees in the beautiful community garden at Laramie and Washington.
More than a 100 people, including family and friends of this year’s honorees, attended the Saturday morning ceremony. Green Team President Mary Peery and the always affable George Lawson, the group’s executive director, hosted the event. Lawson once again served as MC, speaking about each of the honorees, some of whom he worked with personally over the years.
This year’s recipients are: Delores McCain, Austin Weekly News reporter; Shel Trapp, community organizer and founder of the Organization for a Better Austin; Bertha Williams, Austin Green Team member and gardener, who also assisted in their soup kitchen; Mary Volpe, activist and director of the Northeast Austin Organization; Catherine Nemo, community and block club leader; Rev. Louis Banks, pastor of Bethlehem Unity M.B. Church; Dorrell Creightney, Austin Green Team gardener and leader; and Christine Clark, founder of the 5200 W. Harrison Social & Patriotic Club.
Lawson referred to all of the recipients as heroes. As is their custom, friends and family stepped forward to receive their loved ones’ brick, offer a few words of remembrance, and then place the brick in a designated spot in the garden. The circular garden includes benches and trees, surrounding large flower beds.
-Terry Dean
CONTACT: tdean@wjinc.com
