The Love the Boot Awards recognize outstanding accomplishments during Love the Boot Week. Groups from different categories are honored based off criteria including amount of litter removed, beautification efforts, and volunteer recruitment. These groups promote environmental stewardship in their communities and exemplify what it means to Love the Boot.
Congratulations to the 2025 Love the Boot Award Winners
Keep Louisiana Beautiful (KLB) and the Office of the Lieutenant Governor are pleased to recognize the 2025 Love the Boot award winners – all of which demonstrated a commitment to the well-being of their communities through litter removal, beautification, and education during Love the Boot Week in April.
Outstanding State Agency: LA Department of Public Safety and Corrections
Employees from 16 different Corrections offices and facilities across the state participated in Love the Boot Week, cleaning up an impressive 10,000 pounds of litter. The Department of Corrections has enjoyed participating in Love the Boot Week since the initiative began four year ago, stating “Not only are we able to support the community in which we serve, we also are able to build lasting relationships with employees while working toward a better Louisiana.”
Outstanding Organization: Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program
Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program (BTNEP) activated a group of 500 volunteers to clean up Bayou Lafourche by boat and on foot. Their powerful and dedicated team removed 12 tons of litter from an 82 mile stretch of the bayou and its banks, showing their love for this important Louisiana waterway. This was BTNEP’s 14th annual Bayou Lafourche cleanup!
Outstanding Parish: St. John the Baptist Parish
St. John the Baptist Parish knows that Love the Boot Week is about more than picking up litter. In addition to cleaning up over 3,000 pounds of litter with 326 volunteers, the Parish President and staff visited local schools to teach elementary students about the importance of recycling. By educating the next generation of environmental stewards, they are keeping St. John beautiful for years to come.
Outstanding City: City of Alexandria
Over 300 volunteers from 49 groups came together under the City of Alexandria’s inspiring CleanAlex initiative. Together, they removed 14,350 pounds of litter, and had a great time while doing it! The whole city, including the mayor, city council, sanitation department, businesses and clubs could be seen dancing and laughing their way to a CleanAlex.
Outstanding University: Grambling State University
The Grambling State University KLB Affiliate worked together with the Earl Lester Cole Honors College, the Office of Continuing Education & Service-Learning, and the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Alumnae Chapter to care for their campus, removing 1,000 pounds of litter and planting 1,200 flowering plants. Students also led data collection and litter mapping efforts, learned gardening skills, collected cardboard recycling, and DJ’d the event to add energy and flare to the project.
Outstanding K-12 School: Scotlandville Pre-Engineering Magnet Academy
During Love the Boot Week, Scotlandville Pre-Engineering Magnet Academy (SPEMA) launched a vibrant, multi-faceted initiative that brought together students, staff, community members, and industry professionals to celebrate environmental responsibility through education, service, and creative expression. Their projects included: a School/Community Clean-Up and Bike Ride Kick-Off Event, where volunteers and students removed over 60 bags of litter; creating a mini school orchard with over 95 trees and pollinator-friendly plants; painting and repurposing tires for flower beds; an ongoing recycling drive called Eco-Warrior Waste Wednesday; and the Consider Litter project, a NOAA Sea Grant initiative aimed at educating students on students about the litter they leave on the school grounds, the impacts of pollution, and how to take action based on their findings following a cleanup effort.
Outstanding Recycling Award: St. Charles Parish
During their annual Trash Bash event, St. Charles Parish picked up 634 plastic bottles and aluminum cans that were diverted from the landfill to be recycled. The St. Charles Trash Bash is a powerful initiative rooted in bringing the community together. This year they activated 782 volunteers and cleaned up a total of 11,000 pounds of litter.
