Mackenzie Walden accepted the PRIDE Volunteer of the Month Award from Congressman Hal Rogers. On the right is her artwork, which won the contest to design the 2012 PRIDE Spring Cleanup T-shirts. On the left is one of the T-shirts, which will be given to thousands of volunteers who pick up litter in April.

Mackenzie Walden, a seventh-grader at Corbin Middle School, won a contest to design the T-shirts that will be given to thousands of volunteers during PRIDE Spring Cleanup Month in April. She is the daughter of Leigh and Lonnie Walden.

Mackenzie’s T-shirt design featured the slogan, “Saving Our World, One Cleanup at a Time.” Her idea was selected from 1,612 contest entries submitted by students across 38 counties of southern and eastern Kentucky.

On Feb. 13, Congressman Hal Rogers (KY-5), who founded PRIDE, congratulated Mackenzie and presented her with the first Spring Cleanup T-shirt during a school assembly. Mackenzie also received the PRIDE Volunteer of the Month Award for her contribution to the Spring Cleanup.

“Mackenzie, thank you for capturing the spirit of PRIDE in your design,” Rogers said. “I also thank your fellow PRIDE Club members here at Corbin Middle School and those students across the region who so creatively expressed the meaning of PRIDE in their contest entries.”

“It is no exaggeration that PRIDE volunteers are ‘saving our world, one cleanup at a time,’” Rogers said. “Every PRIDE cleanup improves our environment right now, and it discourages littering in the future. Since people tend to litter where they see trash on the ground, we break that cycle when we remove litter from our landscape. When we recruit new volunteers, we open their eyes to the blight of litter, and they become less likely to tolerate the problem.”

“We celebrate the 15th anniversary of PRIDE this year, and I am amazed to see how far we have come, one cleanup at a time” Rogers said. “For example, we have removed 2,869 illegal dumps and 958,000 tires from our landscape. That’s phenomenal.”

“It all starts with one cleanup and one volunteer — you,” Rogers reminded the students. “Be sure to volunteer during the PRIDE Spring Cleanup, and invite your family and friends to join you.”

During PRIDE Spring Cleanup Month in April, communities will recruit volunteers to pick up litter. PRIDE will provide free T-shirts, trash bags and gloves for the volunteers, as well as funding for local governments to dispose of litter, remove dumps and offer free trash drop-off events.

In 2011, there were 33,409 Spring Cleanup volunteers across the region, which was the largest turnout since PRIDE began in 1997.

The 2012 Spring Cleanup kick-off event will be Saturday, March 24, at the Cumberland Falls State Resort Park. Volunteers will receive a free PRIDE T-shirt, lunch and chance at door prizes. Volunteer registration will begin at 9 a.m. at the gift shop, and the cleanup will start at 10 a.m.

The 2012 Spring Cleanup sponsors are: Waste Connections of Kentucky, Gold Sponsor; Outdoor Venture Corporation, Silver Sponsor; and New Horizon Graphics, Bronze Sponsor.

To volunteer for the Spring Cleanup, call the PRIDE office, toll-free number, at 888-577-4339.

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Ms. Amanda Robinson's class was the upper-grade winner of the Goose Rock Elementary School PRIDE Club's contest to decorate classroom doors to promote energy conservation

For inspiring students to think about energy efficiency, the Goose Rock Elementary School PRIDE Club in Clay County earned southern and eastern Kentucky’s PRIDE Environmental Education Project of the Month Award.

The PRIDE Club, which explores environmental issues and performs community service, organized a contest to decorate classroom doors with energy-conservation themes.

The club named a primary-grade winner and an upper-grade winner. The winners were Ms. Marsha Robertson’s class and Ms. Amanda Robinson’s class.

“We wanted to see evidence of student participation, and, of course, ways to promote energy efficiency,” explained Emily Jackson, the teacher who sponsors the PRIDE Club.

“I commend the PRIDE Club members and Ms. Jackson for

Ms. Marsha Robertson's class was the primary-grade winner of the Goose Rock Elementary School PRIDE Club's contest to decorate classroom doors to promote energy conservation

organizing this contest,” said PRIDE’s Mark Davis, who presented the award at the school on Jan. 27.

“The students learned about energy efficiency, and then they had fun decorating the doors and competing with other classes,” Davis said. “Because they enjoyed the lesson, they are more likely to remember the message and share it with others.”

“Energy costs are a hot topic now for schools and for families, so this was a timely project,” Davis added. “For Kentucky’s K-12 public schools, energy costs almost doubled from 2009/2010 to 2010/2011. Using energy wisely is obviously important.”

Goose Rock Elementary School received a $1,500 PRIDE grant to implement an energy conservation project based on findings of an energy audit conducted as part of the state’s Green and Healthy School program.

The PRIDE Environmental Education Project of the Month program rewards creative, effective ways of promoting environmental awareness and stewardship.

“We give awards to thank people and to showcase the great things going on in our region, so please contact us if you want to nominate a person, school, business or organization that is helping our environment or inspiring others to care for nature,” Davis said. “Our toll-free number is 888-577-4339, or you can contact us through our web site.”

To submit a nomination form, visit the nominate site.

Learn more about why and how to conserve energy at PRIDE’s energy conservation web site, “PRIDE Re-Energized.”

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Amir Ahmadi, a student at Morehead State University, accepted the region’s PRIDE Volunteer of the Month Award, with April Haight, MSU Center for Environmental Education Director and PRIDE Coordinator. PRIDE’s Mark Davis surprised Ahmadi with the award during the January meeting of the Gateway Area Development District.

Amir Ahmadi, a student at Morehead State University, has earned southern and eastern Kentucky’s PRIDE Volunteer of the Month Award.

“Amir volunteers to make a difference himself, and he motivates others to do the same, which adds up to a visible, long-lasting change in the environment,” said PRIDE’s Tammie Wilson.

“We thank Amir for his leadership, and we appreciate all the MSU students who invest their time and energy in caring for the environment,” Wilson added. “Your community service reflects the PRIDE spirit of taking personal responsibility for the environment that benefits us all.”

“Amir has put forth a lot of effort toward environmental issues this past year,” said April Haight, who is the director of the MSU Center for Environmental Education, as well as the MSU PRIDE Coordinator. She nominated Ahmadi for the PRIDE award.

Ahmadi started the MSU student group Environmental Eagles, which serves as the college’s service-oriented PRIDE Club. As the group’s president, he recruited students to participate with him in environmental projects, such as planting trees at Yatesville Lake and assisting with a recycling grant.

Ahmadi also spearheaded the first campus Eco-Olympics in October, when MSU students volunteered 350 hours for environmental activities, including collecting $200 for the Sustainable Morehead springtime tree planting, leading a Cardboard Bale Race and conducting a waste-recycle audit at MSU residence halls. MSU Athletics joined the effort by trailblazing a one-mile expansion of the campus trail system.

Ahmadi donated more than 100 volunteer hours for environmental causes in the past nine months, according to Haight. She said he is also president of the new Energy Club and MSU’s Free Enterprise Club, and he participates in Sustainable Morehead.

The PRIDE Volunteer of the Month program recognizes hard work and dedication to the PRIDE initiative, which promotes environmental education and cleanup efforts in 38 counties of southern and eastern Kentucky. With corporate sponsorship from TECO Coal, WYMT-TV airs commercials about each PRIDE Volunteer of the Month.

“Volunteers are the backbone of PRIDE,” said Congressman Hal Rogers, who co-founded PRIDE. “We wouldn’t be where we are without our volunteers. More than 360,000 volunteers have helped with PRIDE cleanup and education projects. We want to thank TECO Coal for helping PRIDE give these generous people the recognition they deserve.”

“Please tell us about PRIDE volunteers who impressed you because we want to thank them,” Wilson said. “You can call our office at 677-6150 or go online to submit a nomination for the PRIDE Volunteer of the Month Award.”

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PRIDEful Recycler Brochure (8.5×13)

PRIDEful Recycler Guidebook

PRIDEful Recycler Bin Labels (8.5×11)

PRIDEful Recycler Bin Labels (5.5×8.5)

PRIDEful Recycler video PSA (30 seconds)

PRIDEful Recycler Workshop

More than 150 people, many of them local government officials, gathered in Corbin on June 28, 2011, to discuss expanding recycling to the advantage of southern and eastern Kentucky.

The workshop kicked off PRIDE’s new environmental awareness campaign, entitled How To Be a PRIDEful Recycler.

“When General Bickford and I co-founded PRIDE 14 years ago, we realized it would require a large, regional team of dedicated volunteers to be successful,” said Congressman Hal Rogers, who gave the keynote address. “Since 1997, you have far surpassed our vision. Hillsides covered with old appliances and creek beds lined with old tires are finally becoming a thing of the past.”

“Now, we must take it to the next level and focus on recycling,” Rogers continued. “We need to share ideas among communities where recycling is already successful and incorporate those across county boundaries. So far, PRIDE is responsible for recycling 188,689 individual appliances since 1997, because PRIDE required them to be properly disposed.”

“Any group that wants to explore recycling can call us, toll free, at 888-577-4339,” said PRIDE’s Tammie Wilson. “We will arrange a presentation about why and how to be a PRIDEful Recycler and provide recycling start-up kits for your audience. You may be surprised by how simply you can make a big difference for our economy and environment just by recycling.”

The workshop was held at Whayne Supply Company, which is sponsoring the How To Be a PRIDEful Recycler campaign and operates an extensive recycling and reuse program. Workshop participants toured the facility to observe how the company refurbishes materials to save money and resources, as well as to provide equipment that is in short supply in the current global market.

The economic and environmental benefits of recycling were outlined by Tom Heil, environmental scientist with the state’s Recycling Assistance Section.

Recycling creates jobs and provides a domestic supply of inputs for manufacturing, for example. Making products with recycled materials requires less energy than using raw materials, and it conserves natural resources.

Heil also outlined how to establish recycling programs in schools, businesses and communities. Heil’s agency provides assistance to all three groups and offers grants to schools and communities.

Recycling programs already flourish in the region, and representatives highlighted some of them.

Jackson County Judge-Executive William Smith said that recycling is succeeding in his county, which has one of the smallest populations in the region.

Randal Napier presented the recycling program operated by the Corbin Campus of Eastern Kentucky University.

Steve Edge of the London Recycling Center spoke about how to involve schools. The recycling center provides dumpsters at the county’s elementary, middle and high schools, as well as East Bernstadt Independent. Since October 2008, these schools have recycled a total of 711,873 pounds and earned a total of $14,226.35.

Big savings can add up from little changes — like unplugging your cell phone charger when not in use and changing your furnace filter monthly. You will save money … and the energy resources we all share.

PRIDE can help you re-think energy. To Re-Energize with PRIDE, check out these resources:

• Why to conserve energy – Click to re-think energy’s impact on your budget and our environment, economy and national security
• How to conserve energy - Click for tips and resources to get started
• Schedule a PRIDE Re-Energized presentation for your group – Call 888.577.4339 (toll free) or e-mail PRIDE@centertech.com
• View or print the PRIDE Re-Energized Brochure (click title to open PDF)
• Request of PRIDE Re-Energized magnet (pictured here) – Call 888.577.4339 (toll free) or e-mail PRIDE@centertech.com
• View or print the PRIDE Re-Energized Guidebook (click title to open PDF)

Steve Yeary, executive director of Appalachian Children’s Home, surprised PRIDE’s Tammie Wilson with a $500 donation. On the right is Bruce Crouch of Waste Connections of Kentucky, who was delivering bicycles with PRIDE staff as part of Waste Connections’ annual Christmas Promise project.

Eastern Kentucky PRIDE recently received an unexpected Christmas gift in the form of a $500 donation from the Appalachian Children’s Home.

“Because of PRIDE’s excellent community efforts throughout the year, we are pleased to be able to give back to such a worthy organization,” said Steve Yeary, executive director of the Appalachian Children’s Home.

“We are so grateful for this generous donation, which, I must say, caught me by surprise,” said PRIDE’s Tammie Wilson. “We went to the Children’s Home to spread some Christmas cheer and invite them to volunteer with PRIDE in the future. The donation was unexpected and greatly appreciated.”

“PRIDE will invest this donation right back in the community by creating a cleaner, healthier environment,” Wilson said. “I understand that’s part of the mission of the Children’s Home, to support community development.”

Yeary presented a check to Wilson Dec. 15, when PRIDE staff helped deliver 50 bicycles to residents of the children’s home. Waste Connections of Kentucky gave the bicycles as part of its annual Christmas Promise project, which provides bikes to needy children in southeastern Kentucky.

The Appalachian Children’s Home is a state-licensed institution and emergency shelter for boys and girls under the age of 18. The facility is located on a 158-acre campus on the outskirts of Barbourville. It is home to approximately 50 teenagers and employs 60 staff members. The web site is www.achky.org.

PRIDE stands for “Personal Responsibility In a Desirable Environment.” The Eastern Kentucky PRIDE organization recruits volunteers to clean up their communities and educates young people about the importance of a healthy environment for their future. The organization serves 38 counties of southern and eastern Kentucky. The PRIDE web site is www.kypride.org.

Eastern Kentucky PRIDE, Inc., is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization, and all donations are tax deductible.

To donate to Eastern Kentucky PRIDE or to Waste Connections’ 2012 Christmas Promise, please call the PRIDE office, toll free, at 888.577.4339.

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Waste Connections of Kentucky donated 180 bicycles to needy children in southeast Kentucky. In this photo, taken Dec. 15, 50 bicycles awaited their new owners at Appalachian Children’s Home, which is a state-licensed institution and emergency shelter for boys and girls under the 18 of age, located in Barbourville.

Christmas came early for 180 needy children in southeast Kentucky, thanks to Waste Connections of Kentucky.

Through its fifth annual “Christmas Promise” project, the company donated 180 bicycles and worked with community organizations to deliver them to needy children in the 40 counties of southeast Kentucky it serves through transfer stations or hauling operations.

Waste Connections employees gave their own money to buy the bicycles, and the company matched the employees’ donations. Donations also came from the company’s vendors, customers and other partners.

“This is something that we love to do,” said Bruce Crouch, district manager, Waste Connections of Kentucky. “Each year brings a new group of smiling faces to receive new bicycles.”

“It is a way for us to not only help a child have a good Christmas, but also to come together with employees, vendors, partners and customers for a bike assembly party where we eat, joke around and have a fun time,” Crouch added.

“PRIDE staff members were grateful for the opportunity to participate in the Christmas Promise this year,” said PRIDE’s Tammie Wilson. “When we helped deliver bikes, and we watched the kids enjoy them, we all came away reminded of the true meaning of Christmas.”

“When we learned about the Christmas Promise, we were deeply moved by the generosity and kindness of Waste Connections employees,” Wilson said. “The heart of PRIDE is people taking care of their community, and this project does exactly that. This is what ‘community’ is all about.”

The bicycles were given to children identified by the company’s local site managers and its customers, such as county solid waste coordinators.

“We basically work with anybody at the local level that is aware of a need,” Crouch explained.

“We are a part of a large company, but our team is made up of a lot of good local people who care about our communities,” Crouch said.

Waste Connections is an integrated solid waste services company that provides solid waste collection, transfer, disposal and recycling services. The Kentucky Division Office, which is located in Lily, primarily serves southeast Kentucky, with some operations in western counties.

Waste Connections began the Christmas Promise in 2000 to give children the life-long memory of receiving a new bicycle. The Kentucky Division Office began participating in 2007.

If you would like to support the 2012 Christmas Promise by donating money to buy bicycles for local children or assist with assembling the bikes, please call Bruce Crouch, Waste Connections of Kentucky, at 606.330.4105.

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Members of the Garland Bend Homeowners Association accepted the PRIDE Volunteer of the Month Award. Back Row, left to right: Tammie Wilson (PRIDE), Joe Dungan (Pulaski County 109 Board), Bob Russell, Fred Wescoe, Ted Black, Carl Adams, John Maggard and Gerald Hines (Pulaski County Solid Waste Coordinator). Front Row, left to right: Rick Gross, Bill Weber, Pat Weber, Carol Black, Anne Bach, Phyliss Adams, Margaret Wescoe, Donna Turner (Pulaski County 109 Board), Karen Branscum and Ernie Bach. The following association members are not in the picture: Linda Maggard, Gary McDonald, Mary McDonald, JR Gross, LD Maggard, Norma Maggard, Danny Sanders, Mary Sanders, Don Carrothers, Mike Tully, Mary Tully and Don Feix.

The Garland Bend Homeowners Association accepted the PRIDE Volunteer of the Month Award on Dec. 20. The group has volunteered to clean the Garland Bend area of Pulaski County regularly for nearly two decades, restoring its scenic beauty.

“We thank the Garland Bend Homeowners Association for picking up roadside litter in their neighborhood every month and then organizing community cleanups every April and October,” said PRIDE’s Tammie Wilson, who presented the award. “When neighbors help neighbors like this, they can make a visible difference in their area and also build a sense of community.”

“We also thank the Pulaski County Solid Waste Department for providing the group with trash bags and picking up the trash they collect,” Wilson said. “This is a great partnership.”

“This is a hard-working group that always accomplishes what it sets out to do, and we are glad to support their efforts,” said Gerald Hines, the Pulaski County Solid Waste Coordinator and PRIDE Coordinator. He nominated the association for the PRIDE award.

The association’s spring and fall community cleanups allow the out-of-town homeowners to schedule visits to participate. During those events, association members go door to door encouraging all neighbors to clean their own properties.

In the 2011 PRIDE Spring Cleanup, the association recruited 69 volunteers who donated 145 hours to clean 15 miles of roadway. They collected 5.5 tons of trash.

“Garland Bend has been a real success story, and I think the key has been good leaders, who encouraged full community participation,” Hines said.

Henry “Hank” Hoffman led the association to begin the cleanups in the 1990s. Ted and Carol Black now spearhead the effort.

Several homeowners associations began their own cleanup campaigns after the Garland Bend group started.

“We are fortunate in Pulaski County that we have neighborhood groups doing this, and we encourage others to follow in their footsteps,” Hines said.

“If you want to start a neighborhood cleanup project, please call me at 677-0320,” Hines said.

The PRIDE Volunteer of the Month program recognizes hard work and dedication to the PRIDE initiative, which promotes environmental education and cleanup efforts in 38 counties of southern and eastern Kentucky. With corporate sponsorship from TECO Coal, WYMT-TV airs commercials about each PRIDE Volunteer of the Month.

“Volunteers are the backbone of PRIDE,” said Congressman Hal Rogers, who co-founded PRIDE. “We wouldn’t be where we are without our volunteers. More than 360,000 volunteers have helped with PRIDE cleanup and education projects. We want to thank TECO Coal for helping PRIDE give these generous people the recognition they deserve.”

“Please tell us about PRIDE volunteers who impressed you because we want to thank them,” Wilson said. “You can call our office at 677-6150 or go online to submit a nomination for the PRIDE Volunteer of the Month Award.”

Click here to submit a PRIDE Volunteer of the Month Award nomination form.

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Barbie Begley made this Christmas tree ornament from a bobber she found while picking up litter at Laurel River Lake. She recently began selling her decorations, and she plans to donate 10% of her sales to PRIDE. Photo by Barbie Begley.

By combining her volunteer spirit and artistic talent, Barbara Begley has created unique decorations to adorn Christmas trees and support PRIDE.

Begley fashions one-of-a-kind ornaments from the lures and bobbers she collects while volunteering to pick up litter at Laurel River Lake.

She just recently decided to sell her hand-crafted treasures, and she plans to donate 10 percent of her sales to PRIDE, the nonprofit organization that promotes environmental cleanup and education in southern and eastern Kentucky.

“I’ve been doing these for two or three years, and now I’m realizing that people really seem to love them,” Begley explained.

“Barbie’s ornaments will add a fun, distinctive touch to your tree, and you can feel good about helping out a good cause,” said PRIDE’s Tammie Wilson. “We appreciate her volunteerism and generosity.”

Begley, who owns property near the lake, picks up litter as she travels the shoreline in a paddle boat daily, weather permitting. She has removed about 900 bags of trash from the lakeshore in the last eight years. Begley won the PRIDE Volunteer of the Month Award in June 2011.

To contact Begley, call 606-258-1500 or 859-269-1609, or e-mail her at barbarabegley@roadrunner.com.

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Click here to view the PDF edition of the Green Frog Gazette – 2011, Issue 2

Topics:

• Your PRIDE Environmental Education Contracts add up to $135,525
• Your PRIDE Environmental Education Outreach Liaisons start work
• Your stories and photos
• Resources for you: calendar, grant opportunities, recognition programs, new book