Keep Ridgeland Beautiful Receives Statewide Recognition
RIDGELAND, MS – Keep Ridgeland Beautiful (KRB), the City of Ridgeland’s beautification committee, was recently honored during the Annual Keep Mississippi Beautiful Awards Luncheon.
Keep Ridgeland Beautiful member Ginger Cocke received the 2026 Pat Fordice Award, one of the organization’s highest honors. Presented annually by Keep Mississippi Beautiful, the award recognizes individuals who demonstrate exceptional dedication to community improvement and environmental stewardship. Named in honor of former Mississippi First Lady Pat Fordice, the award celebrates those who embody a spirit of service and a commitment to enhancing Mississippi’s natural beauty.
Through her work with KRB, Ginger has devoted countless hours to community projects including the Ridgeland Wildflower initiative, seasonal bulb plantings, educational presentations, and cleanup efforts such as the Pearl River Clean Sweep. She also led the development of Mississippi’s first Never Forget Garden project, created in commemoration of the Centennial of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Located near the pavilion at Freedom Ridge Park, the garden serves as a peaceful place of reflection honoring those who served our country.
The project earned national recognition with a Keep America Beautiful Innovation Award, and Ginger later co-presented the project at a Keep America Beautiful conference in Washington, D.C., alongside Never Forget Garden founder Richard Azzaro.
In addition to Ginger’s individual honor, KRB also received statewide recognition with a Wildflower Field Award for the Ridgeland Wildflower Field and Art Park on West Jackson Street, a member of the Wildflower Trails of Mississippi program. The award recognizes outstanding efforts in landscaping, beautification, and the creative use of native plants to enhance public spaces.
A centerpiece of this year’s recognition was the addition of the Wildflower Pavilion, a distinctive structure that serves as both a gathering place and artistic focal point within the park.
Surrounded by vibrant native wildflowers, the pavilion provides a shaded area for visitors while also serving as a unique photo destination. The original concept for the pavilion was developed by Explore Ridgeland’s retired CEO, Chris Chapman.
With support from Explore Ridgeland, the vision became a reality through a collaborative effort with Keep Ridgeland Beautiful and Tim Taylor. The award also highlighted the pavilion’s ribbon-cutting celebration, which brought the community together for live music, flower planting activities, cookies, lemonade, and a festive morning in the park.
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KRB serves as a local affiliate of Keep America Beautiful and Keep Mississippi Beautiful, promoting environmental stewardship, litter prevention, recycling, and community beautification initiatives.
KRB Committee Members:
Jan Richardson (Chair), Ginger Cocke, Phyllis Parker, Kenya Rachal, Claire Jackson, Alison Guynes, and Polly Hammett
City Liaisons: Tally Berry, Kim Cooper, Matt Dodd, James Mathews, and Ben McDonald
