Oklahoma Route 66 Midpoint Corridor wins Best Community Partner Award

Lt Gov Matt Pinnell and Jennifer Thornton with Route 66 Midpoint Corridor

Oklahoma’s Route 66 Midpoint Corridor, a collaboration of 11 cities from Edmond to Sapulpa, received The Best Community Partner Award at Keep Oklahoma Beautiful’s Environmental Excellence Celebration on November 22, 2024. This award honors one organization that worked with Keep Oklahoma Beautiful to advance environmental sustainability in Oklahoma.

In a remarkable show of community commitment to environmental stewardship, five Oklahoma towns along the Midpoint Corridor (Edmond, Arcadia, Luther, Wellston and Stroud) collected 4,234 used tires in their first annual reclamation project. Ed Gochenour, owner of The Chicken Shack and founder of the Midpoint Corridor, said, “Beautification is an important part of our commitment to maintain and promote the greatest 100 miles of Route 66.”

More than 20 program finalists were recognized at the event including education institutions, community volunteers, law enforcement, government agencies and municipalities. The Best Community Partner award was presented by Lieutenant Governor Matt Pinnell. He said, “Oklahoma has 400 miles along Route 66 – more than any other state. Keeping our miles clean and attractive is imperative as we invite travelers stop in Oklahoma cities along Route 66.” This is especially important as we prepare for Route 66 Centennial in 2026.

Keep Oklahoma Beautiful launched a “Keep Route 66 Beautiful” initiative, which is a partnership with communities along the 400 miles of the historic highway in Oklahoma. Cities hosted a designated tire drop-off location and tires were safely picked up and disposed of by Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality. For example, Edmond collected 427 tires between 8 a.m.-noon on August 31. “We are incredibly proud of the collaborative efforts demonstrated by Edmond, Arcadia, Luther, Wellston and Stroud,” said Keep Oklahoma Beautiful’s Executive Director, Evelyn Schaefer. “This event showcases the power of community action and the importance of working together to protect Oklahoma. Every tire removed is a step toward a cleaner and safer Route 66.”

The 11 Midpoint Corridor cities, which bill the area as “The Greatest 100 Miles of Route 66” will continue to host litter remediation and beautification projects in preparation for the 100-year anniversary of Route 66 in 2026. The Oklahoma Route 66 Association looks forward to being a part of these efforts!