Go TXK Campaign Broadcasts Texarkana's Goodness Far and Wide
/Broadcasting Texarkana’s Goodness Far and Wide
by ELLEN ORR
Leadership Texarkana graduates who have been essential in promoting the goTXK movement are: Ruth Ellen Whitt - LT Executive Director, Rachael Potter - LT 2013, Justin Hamilton - LT 2016, Tonya Dunphy - LT 2018, Traci Pitman - LT 2013, Christina Guzman - LT 2018, Eric Voyles - LT 2018 and Jason Smith - LT 2018 (not pictured).
GoTXK began with a simple question: What would Texarkana be like if a critical mass of its citizens were aware of and excited about all there is to love in the community? A team of Leadership Texarkana alumni has been working together over the last year to turn this hypothetical into a reality.
In the spring of 2018, Leadership Texarkana’s Board of Directors outlined their short-term goals leading up to the organization’s 40th anniversary in 2020. Among these initiatives was to launch a “smart media campaign” to educate community members about “what’s to love” in Texarkana. “It was a means to an end: a community filled with citizens excited about Texarkana, USA, inspired to become a bigger part of the action,” said Executive Director Ruth Ellen Whitt.
The operation was initially called “What’s to Love” but was renamed goTXK so as to be easily hashtagged. In June 2018, the active Today’s Youth Tomorrow’s Leaders (TYTL) class was brought into the fold; they crafted the very first #goTXK posts and designed the campaign’s first T-shirts.
Texarkana College professors Dr. Dixon Boyles and Mary Ellen Young pose with the “What’s to Love about Texarkana” selfie frame prop.
Since the launch, the goTXK project has expanded to include a website, www.gotxk.org. Beyond a landing place for #goTXK social media posts, the site also features a community calendar, as well as a regularly updated blog with categories such as “Did You Know?,” “Food Faves,” and “Leader Profiles.” Site visitors can also subscribe to the weekly newsletter and even purchase apparel. All content points to the same idea: Texarkana is worth celebrating.
The mission is simple—though not trite. “When citizens are made aware of our community assets and all of the positive community endeavors, they become interested, invested, and excited about the opportunity to be part of the action,” Ruth Ellen said. “The fact is that people invest themselves in things that they love—whether it’s a vintage car, a cashmere sweater, a cherished heirloom, their kids, or their community. And if our goal is to get folks to step up and invest in our shared community, the first step is getting them excited about Texarkana.”
GoTXK began with a simple question: What would Texarkana be like if a critical mass of its citizens were aware of and excited about all there is to love in the community? A team of Leadership Texarkana alumni has been working together over the last year to turn this hypothetical into a reality.
In the spring of 2018, Leadership Texarkana’s Board of Directors outlined their short-term goals leading up to the organization’s 40th anniversary in 2020. Among these initiatives was to launch a “smart media campaign” to educate community members about “what’s to love” in Texarkana. “It was a means to an end: a community filled with citizens excited about Texarkana, USA, inspired to become a bigger part of the action,” said Executive Director Ruth Ellen Whitt.
The operation was initially called “What’s to Love” but was renamed goTXK so as to be easily hashtagged. In June 2018, the active Today’s Youth Tomorrow’s
The team behind goTXK is driven by three basic beliefs: that Texarkana is a community of excellence and generosity; the vast majority of Texarkana citizens are united in wanting their community to be the best it can be; and that every citizen has the potential and responsibility to contribute to that goal. An easy way to contribute is to engage in the larger conversation about “what’s to love” in our area—by reading the goTXK website and newsletter, and by broadcasting local goodness
from your own perspective by using #goTXK on social media.