Kim Lawton’s work with JCI Penticton has earned her special recognition from the service club.
Lawton was recently recognized as a Fellow of JCI Canada and was given an honourary lifetime membership by the Penticton club.
“It was a very honouring and humbling experience to be recognized in that way,” Lawton said about the recognition.
Since moving to Summerland four years ago, Lawton has been a member of JCI Penticton.
One of her achievements within the club was to bring in a recycling plan for the Mr. Muscle and Miss Bikini competition.
Lawton said she was concerned by the amount of garbage collected at the event and so she introduced a recycling plan for the beverage containers.
This effort diverted between 5,000 and 7,000 beverage containers from the landfill.
The following year, plastic beverage containers were eliminated and beverages were served in cans and bottles.
Lawton added that she has wanted to help give the service club a positive image in the community.
Others within the organization have noticed this effort.
“Kim has helped to build JCI’s positive image in the community,” said Carol Sheridan, president of JCI Penticton.
“She has worked to build relationships between JCI Pentiction and the Penticton and Summerland Chambers of Commerce and she is an outstanding representative of JCI Penticton in our community.
We were so excited to be able to recognize Kim with this important designation.”
This is not the first time Lawton has been honoured by the organization. In 2008, she was named JCI Penticton Rookie of the Year and in 2009, she was named JCI Penticton Executive Member of the Year.
JCI is a service organization for those between 18 and 40 years of age.
The Penticton chapter meets on the fourth Thursday of the month and hosts a variety of fundraising events each year.
“It’s a really great group and I’m proud to be part of it,” Lawton said.