Community service award presented
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Chamber Board Chairman John Frank Clifton, above left, presented Francisco Lopez of Corrigan, above right, with a Community Service Award from the Livingston-Polk County Chamber of Commerce Tuesday. Photo by Emily Banks Wooten | PCE
Emily Banks Wooten
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Francisco Lopez of Corrigan received a Community Service Award from the Livingston-Polk County Chamber of Commerce Tuesday during the chamber’s quarterly membership luncheon held at the Sechrest Webster Community Center in Corrigan. Chamber Board Chairman John Frank Clifton presented the award.
Beginning this year, the chamber is presenting community service awards quarterly during its membership luncheons, recognizing citizens from various communities within the county rather than just one at the annual banquet. All four award recipients this year will be recognized at the 2022 awards banquet.
“This year, the Livingston-Polk County Chamber of Commerce has elected to present a Community Service Award to individuals in respective counties instead of choosing one for the entire county. The chamber reached out to the City of Corrigan for a nomination. In deciding who would be selected, there are a lot of factors that must be considered,” Clifton said.
“The person chosen usually has no idea that anyone would consider them for such an honor and lives out their life never seeking the spotlight. Whoever he or she is always shows up with no expectations for a return of services rendered,” he said.
“This year, the City of Corrigan’s mayor and city council chose a person who has been a lifelong member of the community. He was born in Huntsville on Aug. 31, 1989. His parents moved to Corrigan shortly after for work at the Georgia Pacific Plywood Mill,” Clifton said.
He had the privilege of growing up in this tight-knit community, attending school and graduating from Corrigan-Camden High School in 2008. He started a career in law enforcement with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, but he decided to start a business to supplement his income. It was simple. He started out power-washing big trucks for Hughes and any other who would oblige. One day, a person stopped and asked if he would power-wash a house. It was at that time that his business took off and the power-washing business became a career,” Clifton said.
“Then came COVID-19. Without ever asking for praise or recognition, he asked the school if he could power-wash the playground equipment to sanitize for the safety of the children to reduce the spread of COVID-19. He then thought about the city parks and volunteered his time to power-wash the playground equipment at the Corrigan West Park and Corrigan Central Park,” he said.
“In addition to the school and city, he volunteered to power-wash the Naranjo Museum in Lufkin. He has been awarded ‘Best of Lufkin’ three years running and Lufkin Small Business of the Year for 2020. He demonstrates what it means to make a difference in giving back to the community. We appreciate his selfless acts,” Clifton said.
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