Corbin schools win PRIDE trophies for volunteerism

Corbin Primary School, Corbin Elementary School, and KCEOC Community Action Partnership, Inc., were regional leaders in recruiting volunteers during PRIDE Spring Cleanup Month in April.
CPS and CES recruited more Spring Cleanup volunteers than any other schools across 38 counties of southern and eastern Kentucky. CPS won the Volunteer Recruitment Award for its 600 student volunteers, and CES earned the 1st Runner Up trophy with 400 student volunteers. The CPS and CES students volunteered to spend 30 minutes of their recess walking their campuses and picking up trash during Spring Cleanup Month.
KCEOC won the 1st Runner Up trophy for Greatest Volunteer Participation by a Nonprofit Organization. KCEOC recruited 711 volunteers, most of whom were Head Start students, along with their parents and Head Start staff.
“For hundreds of children, volunteering with PRIDE was a great hands-on lesson in protecting the environment and serving their community,” said PRIDE’s Mark Davis, who presented the trophies.
“Students saw for themselves that litter is a problem, but one they can solve,” Davis continued. “They have the power to keep your community clean, healthy, and welcoming to guests.”
“I thank the Corbin students who volunteered, CES Principal Chris Webb, CPS Principal Travis Wilder, and their faculties, as well as Audra Valentine and Vanna Godby, who serve as the PRIDE Club sponsors at both schools,” Davis said.
“I want to thank Paul Dole, who is the KCEOC President/CEO, and Brendia Moses for leading KCEOC’s Spring Cleanup campaign, as well as all the KCEOC students, parents, and staff members who volunteered,” Davis said.
Region-wide, 26,711 volunteers participated in the Spring Cleanup. They picked up 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 annual Spring Cleanup, local governments organize cleanup activities and recruit volunteers to remove litter across 38 counties in southern and eastern Kentucky. 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 www.facebook.com/EasternKentuckyPRIDE