Maricopa’s 347 Facts Committee’s grassroots push for State Route 347 improvements has officially earned statewide recognition.

The organization received the Arizona Transportation Partnering Excellence Award last week during its annual conference in Tucson. Glennwilde resident and 347 Facts organizer Ron Angerame was joined by Shawnte Rothschild and Tena Dugan in collecting the award on behalf of the group on Sept. 24.

“I don’t think anybody thought we had a snowball’s chance in hell [at getting it],” he said. “We weren’t in the construction business, and we weren’t representative of the attendees.”

The award recognizes teams that work across agencies, organizations and communities to solve transportation challenges. For the 347 Facts Committee, residents to send thousands of emails to state legislators and transportation leaders to fund the improvement and widening projects slated for SR 347.

The effort eventually helped move transportation bills to the governor’s desk last year, secure about $140 million in funding and earn a coveted spot on Arizona Department of Transportation’s five-year construction plan. Initial improvement work began in June.

The group first learned of its nomination in May. Traveling to Tucson to accept the award made the recognition feel even more rewarding.

“We just all really believe this [was] the right thing to do … Everybody’s very proud to get recognized by the state for this award,” Angerame said.