Nearly 27,000 PRIDE volunteers cleaned the region
August 21, 2012 by clackey
PRIDE’s Mark Davis (far right) presented a volunteerism award to Corbin Elementary School teacher Jeannie Helton, principal Chris Webb, and some of the school’s 400 students who volunteered.
SCROLL DOWN FOR SPRING CLEANUP AWARD WINNERS
26,711 volunteers picked up litter during the 2012 PRIDE Spring Cleanup, which was held in April across 38 counties of Southern and Eastern Kentucky.
The volunteers removed 50,042 bags of trash from the region’s ditches and shorelines. The region’s counties and cities reported collecting a total of 3,037 tires, 3,000 tons of trash, 81 tons of recyclables, and 9.5 tons of appliances during the Spring Cleanup.
“Congratulations to the people of Southern and Eastern Kentucky on this remarkable cleanup campaign,” said PRIDE’s Tammie Wilson. “Clearly, they love their communities and are willing to do their part to care for them. I’m reminded of that fact as we tally the results of the Spring Cleanup annually, and this year is no exception.”
“I want to thank all the Spring Cleanup volunteers,” Wilson said. “From preschoolers to senior citizens, we needed each and every one of you to make the region look its best in time for recreation and tourism seasons.”
“Spring Cleanup volunteers should take great satisfaction in the impressive cleanup numbers they posted,” Wilson said. “You lived out our Spring Cleanup theme of ‘Saving the World, One Cleanup at a Time.’”
“What a great way to celebrate the 15th anniversary of PRIDE,” Wilson added. “It goes to show that our citizens and leaders are committed to caring for the incredible landscape we share.”
“We’ve come so far in 15 years, it’s no wonder that communities want to build on this momentum and continue moving forward,” she said.
Since 1997, PRIDE cleanups have removed 2,875 illegal dumps, 176,175 tons of trash, 42,455 tons of junk appliances, and 961,430 old tires from the region’s hillsides and waterways. In that time, 387,625 PRIDE volunteers have donated 1,310,872 hours and picked up another 750,334 bags of trash.
The annual Spring Cleanup has contributed significantly to that progress. During the Spring Cleanup, the region’s local governments organize cleanup activities and recruit volunteers to remove litter. They receive volunteer T-shirts, cleanup supplies, and funding assistance from PRIDE, a nonprofit organization that promotes environmental cleanup and education in the region.
The 2012 Spring Cleanup was made possible by a grant to PRIDE from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and by donations from Waste Connections of Kentucky (Gold Sponsor), Outdoor Venture Corporation (Silver Sponsor), New Horizon Graphics (Bronze Sponsor), Lightyear Network Solutions (Bronze Sponsor), and Owens Auto & Truck Parts of Corbin (Bronze Sponsor).
Photos of PRIDE Spring Cleanup volunteers can be seen at https://www.facebook.com/EasternKentuckyPRIDE/photos. (You can view the photos even if you do not have a Facebook account.)
2012 PRIDE Spring Cleanup Awards
Volunteer Recruitment Awards — Schools
- Corbin Primary, 1st Place
- Corbin Elementary, Runner Up
Greatest Volunteer Participation — Nonprofit Organizations
- Lake Cumberland Community Action Agency, 1st Place
- KCEOC Community Action Partnership, Runner Up
Greatest Volunteer Participation — County
- Wolfe County, 1st Place
- Pulaski County, Runner Up
Volunteer Recruitment Award — County: Taylor County
Greatest Volunteer Participation — City
- Greensburg, 1st Place
- Pineville, Runner Up
Volunteer Recruitment Award — City: Jenkins
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