Michael Praats | The Valdosta Daily TimesKeep Lowndes Valdosta Beautiful named Chancy Drugs the 2015-16 Beautiful Business of the Year. 

VALDOSTA — Keep Lowndes/Valdosta Beautiful named Chancy Drugs the 2015-16 Beautiful Business of the Year. 

Established in Hahira, the pharmacy has grown to serve Adel, Lake Park, Moultrie and Valdosta. KLVB partners with the Valdosta Junior Woman’s Club to select the winner. 

“Giving out this award is not work at all,” said Candice Arnold, a club member. “We get to go around to see how people are keeping up their businesses.” 

Air Force Sergeants Association Chapter 460 won the Adopt-A-Road Participant of the Year. The group holds a roadside clean-up nearly every month. KLVB only requires participants to maintain their adopted streets on a quarterly basis. 

“The appearance of our cities, county and community matters,” said KLVB Executive Director H. Aaron Strickland. “Litter and neglect lead to more litter and neglect.” 

KLVB awarded the Sigma Nu fraternity Student Organization of the Year.  

Home Depot Distribution Center, Best Buy and CJB Industries were awarded as the Community Partner of the Year. 

KLVB works “to promote environmental stewardship and beautification by empowering individuals through public education,” according to its mission statement. 

A total of 1,305 volunteers participated in KLVB events for the 2015-16 year. 

“For every one budget dollar, we’ve turned that into $2.69 in volunteer hours, donations and services,” Strickland said. “We’ve recycled 749 Christmas trees, collected 32,478 pounds of electronics and 110,365 pounds of junk and litter.” 

Since 2000, KLVB has had more than 12,000 volunteers and collected more than 1,100 tons of trash.

NOTE: Valdosta Daily Times reporter Jennifer Dandron was named the KLVB Media Person of the Year.

Jennifer Dandron is a Reporter at the Valdosta Daily Times. She can be reached at (229)244-3400 ext. 1255.