BY JEFF HELMS, CHAIRMAN, ALABAMA PALS
The photo is of a trashcan in the passenger floorboard of his golfcart. The note says, “When it’s full, I’m finished.”
My neighbor is just one of the unsung heroes of Alabama PALS. Every week or two, he patrols the busy road that flanks his Elmore County home with a grabber in hand — collecting everything from empty beer and soda cans to construction debris and, oddly enough, discarded toothbrushes. He’s never attended a PALS meeting or even used trash bags emblazoned with our logo, but my friend is just as much a part of our mission. Like most of us, he understands tackling the problem of litter doesn’t begin with complaining about the interstate or neglected city streets. It starts with the road in front of us.
It’s easy to feel discouraged when confronted with a huge task. We watch the news or browse the internet and feel helpless. How can one person make a positive impact when the challenges of divisiveness, crime, poverty and anxiety are so pervasive?
We open our eyes to the opportunities in front of us — right here, right now.
Longtime PALS advocate and fundraiser George McMillan understood the power each of us has to make a difference. Growing up in Butler County, George dedicated himself to public service at an early age. He served as president of the Auburn University Student Government Association and rose to the rank of captain in the U.S. Army Reserve. He later was elected lieutenant governor and went on to establish organizations like Birmingham’s City Stages and the Black Belt Community Foundation. Like his work with Alabama PALS, George’s passion for these organizations was driven by a singular goal — make Alabama a better place to live,
work, worship and play.
For years, George was among Alabama PALS’ biggest cheerleaders — singing its praises in the halls of government and the executive offices of corporate titans.
George wasn’t intimated by the problem of litter. He used his God-given gifts for relationship building and friendship to do what he could.
We miss George, but we are encouraged to know countless others in our PALS family wake up each morning ready to make their corner of Alabama more beautiful.
As you enjoy our state’s lakes, rivers and beaches this summer, don’t be discouraged by evidence of careless, thoughtless or even lazy litterers. Rather, be inspired by those who choose to make a positive difference — beginning with the road in front of us.