Southern Elementary School students, parents and staff donated 4,648 bottles of water to Eastern Kentucky PRIDE, Inc., a Somerset-based nonprofit organization that promotes environmental cleanup projects.

Mrs. Tabitha Chism’s 2nd grade homeroom class donated the most water bottles. The class was rewarded with a pizza party.

AmeriCorps worker Somer Schmidt spearheaded the donation campaign, which she called the Water Roundup. Originally, her goal was to collect enough water bottles for volunteers who were cleaning up the flood debris on Lake Cumberland in March. However, the school exceeded that goal and was able to supply water bottles to multiple PRIDE Spring Cleanup events, including the Pulaski County Clean Sweep and Cumberland Falls Spring Cleanup. PRIDE will hand out the remaining water bottles to volunteers at the annual Friends of Lake Cumberland Cleanup, which will be held Sept. 14.

“We are so grateful to Somer for her enthusiasm and leadership on this Water Roundup, and I want to thank everyone at Southern Elementary who rallied to help,” said Tammie Nazario, PRIDE President and Chief Executive Officer.

“Somer came to PRIDE with the idea of a Water Roundup because she wanted to serve her community,” Nazario said. “In just one short week, she was able to collect 4,648 bottles of water. What a tremendous response by Southern Elementary.”

“I’m super passionate about our environment and making it a better place,” Schmidt said. “My family spends lots of time on the lake, and it hurt my heart to see it in such a mess! I want to do whatever I can to help.”

When the donation drive ended, Schmidt said, “I’m so proud of students, parents, and staff at Southern Elementary School. I never would’ve imagined we would collect this much water.”

“Organizing and delivering all of this water, with the help of (amazing) neighbors, family, and friends has been such a wonderful experience,” Schmidt added. “Thanks to everyone who helped out.”

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