Outstanding Citizenship Award recipients recognized

Flower Mound’s 2016 Outstanding Citizenship Award recipients were recognized on Monday night at the Town Council meeting.

Kathy O’Keefe was honored with the 2016 Outstanding Citizenship Award (individual), for her continuous efforts to educate and bring awareness to others whose lives have been impacted by addiction.

Through her own personal tragedy of losing her son, Brett, to an accidental overdose in 2010, O’Keefe made it her personal mission to ensure other families suffering from the disease of addiction win this fight. Thus, local non-profit Winning The Fight (WTF) was created, and continues to provide drug education, support, and necessary resources to people, while also working to remove the stigma and judgement that often goes hand-in-hand with addiction.

“I see sharing my story as a way to help others. I wish that I had a story to hear six years ago. But that was not God’s plan. His plan is that I share, help and encourage. It gives me hope and faith and allows me to give Brett a purpose in his life. A life that was too short to find his real purpose,” said O’Keefe.

The Flower Mound chapter of the Young Men’s Service League (YMSL) was honored with the 2016 Outstanding Citizenship Award (group).

YMSL encourages young men, and their mothers to pursue philanthropic involvement in the community, which in turn enhances and builds mother/son relationships. These young men range in age from 14- to 19-years-old, and have served Flower Mound in various ways, from volunteering with Denton County homeless youth, to clean-ups on The Flower Mound, to simply spending time at local senior living facilities.

Mayor Tom Hayden created the Outstanding Citizenship program in 2014 as a way of recognizing individuals and groups who serve the Flower Mound community and impact the lives of its residents in a positive way.