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52 Faces of Community<\/a> is a Fort Worth Report weekly series spotlighting local unsung heroes. It is sponsored by Central Market<\/a>, H-E-B<\/a> and JPS Health Network<\/a>.<\/p>\n At the end of the year, these rarely recognized heroes will gather for a luncheon where the Report will announce one honoree to represent Tarrant County at the Jefferson Awards in Washington, D.C.<\/p>\n Six years later, Daniel has prevented more than 45,000 pounds of trash from entering waterways by creating a website<\/a> that helps people organize litter cleanups. The 17-year-old\u2019s efforts led to his nomination for 52 Faces of Community<\/a>, the Fort Worth Report\u2019s weekly series spotlighting unsung heroes in Tarrant County.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not just me,\u201d said Daniel, a senior at Colleyville Heritage High School. \u201cI hope to start a domino effect of where it\u2019s not just doing cleanups, but it\u2019s a bunch of other people to start their cleans and continue the chain forward.\u201d<\/p>\n ENJOY READING THE NEWS AGAIN<\/strong><\/p>\n Discover refreshing, nonpartisan<\/strong> reporting on stories happening in your backyard.<\/p>\n Daniel wanted to make picking up litter as easy as possible. However, getting started is not as easy as going outside and grabbing trash.<\/p>\n He had to spend $200 to buy buckets, grabbers, safety gear and, of course, trash bags. He used equipment during the pickups he organized. Eventually, he started to loan out the utensils.<\/p>\n Daniel\u2019s scoutmaster, Tegan Brennan, helped him formulate his plans. Brennan encouraged him to seek donations so he could have more equipment for people to borrow.<\/p>\n \u201cI was just impressed that he was talking to adults like he was one,\u201d Brennan said. \u201cHe was just amazing, he could get things done and get people motivated to do them.\u201d<\/p>\n Daniel exudes enthusiasm about the environment and improving his hometown, Brennan said.<\/p>\n Know an unsung hero in Tarrant County?<\/p>\n Tell us about them by filling out the form below. <\/p>\n Before Daniel started litter pickups, Brennan recalled the first time he saw the student putting others first. Daniel organized a pie drive for the Colleyville Fire and Police Departments.<\/p>\n \u201cHe set the whole thing up. He made posters. He made all the phone calls. He collected the money, went to Costco and bought the pies. He was 11,\u201d Brennan said. \u201cIt was just amazing to me the way he started, and then right after that, he got heavily into the environment.\u201d<\/p>\n The environment does not exist in silo, Daniel said. Plastic litter, for instance, can affect water quality, animals and the food everyone eats.<\/p>\n Picking up litter is just one way to see an almost immediate impact, he said.<\/p>\n Daniel\u2019s work has been noticed. He has won awards, including most recently being named a Student Hero by the State Board of Education.<\/p>\n But for Daniel it all comes back to leaving his community cleaner and better.<\/p>\n \u201cHe thinks about everybody else first and himself second. I\u2019m really excited to see what he\u2019s going to do next.\u201d<\/p>\n Tegan Brennan, Daniel Thomas\u2019 scoutmaster<\/p><\/blockquote>\n \u201cI\u2019ve been doing this for the last six years. It\u2019s really not only impressive, but it is really shocking to me,\u201d he said. \u201cEven I can\u2019t believe it myself that I\u2019ve done all this.\u201d<\/p>\n Brennan, though, knew Daniel would accomplish big things from the moment he saw him organizing a pie drive.<\/p>\n \u201cHe thinks about everybody else first and himself second,\u201d Brennan said. \u201cI\u2019m really excited to see what he\u2019s going to do next.\u201d<\/p>\n Daniel is still figuring out where he will go to college. He\u2019s thinking about the University of Texas at Austin or UT-Dallas. But he knows for sure he will study either environmental science or biology.<\/p>\n As he sorts out his future plans, he\u2019s thinking about his legacy.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s next is probably trying to hand off all of my cleanups to the younger generation for them to start their own,\u201d he said. \u201cThat way it keeps going as long-lasting domino events.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n And he\u2019s thinking even beyond himself and Colleyville.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause this young generation is going to take over one day,\u201d Daniel said, \u201cand they need to know how to responsibly take care of this planet.\u201d<\/p>\n Jacob Sanchez is education editor for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at jacob.sanchez@fortworthreport.org<\/a> or @_jacob_sanchez<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Tired of shouting? Help us bring facts into focus.<\/strong><\/p>\n There\u2019s no shortage of opinions out there, but facts are harder to come by. At the Fort Worth Report, we deliver local reporting grounded in truth so that you can make informed decisions for yourself and your community.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \n\tRelated\n<\/p>\n Fort Worth Report is certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative<\/a> for adhering to standards for ethical journalism.<\/p>\n Republish This Story<\/p>\n\n
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