The Tyler Civitan Club on the morning of a clean up marking their 10th anniversary.

It all started in the Lone Star State.
“Did you know the first highway ever adopted was right here in Texas?”

One day back in 1984, James R. “Bobby” Evans, an engineer for the Texas Department of Transportation's (TxDOT) Tyler District, was driving through Tyler when he observed debris blowing out of the bed of the pickup truck he was following.

Alarmed by the incident and concerned that the cost of picking up litter was increasing at an annual rate of 15 to 20 percent, Evans began appealing to local groups to “adopt” a section of highway. His initial challenge went unanswered.

Champion for the cause
It wasn't long before Billy Black, Public Information Officer for TxDOT's Tyler District, became involved in developing the Adopt-a-Highway program. Black was responsible not only for creating a quarterly cleanup cycle for adopting organizations, but also for implementing the initial concept, which included furnishing volunteer safety training, reflective vests and equipment — and for erecting the well-known Adopt-a-Highway roadside signs that recognize adopters.

The Tyler Civitan Club soon became the first group to volunteer, adopting a two-mile stretch of Highway 69.

The word spreads.
The rest, as they say, is history. Within months, more than 50 groups in the region — garden clubs and scouting groups among them — had joined the program, which would blanket Texas and quickly spread nationwide.

Signs recognizing the Tyler Civitans' section of roadway (“First Adopt-a-Highway in the Nation”) were erected on March 9, 1985 — a day that has subsequently been named International Adopt-a-Highway Day.

Going global
Demonstrating the value of a successful public-private partnership, today Adopt-a-Highway is a grassroots movement involving nearly 90,000 groups in 49 states, Puerto Rico, Canada, New Zealand, Australia and Japan.

For more information call your local coordinator or e-mail us to explore the opportunities!

Ready to sign up?
Locate your area coordinator(s) here.

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