SPRING CLEAN: April is PRIDE Spring Cleanup Month in Lincoln

Published 1:22 pm Thursday, April 4, 2019

STAFF REPORT
The Interior Journal

PRIDE Spring Cleanup Month is here.

The PRIDE initiative was launched in 1997 by Congressman Hal Rogers and the late General James Bickford, the former Secretary of the Kentucky Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Cabinet. Their vision was to restore the natural beauty of their native region by encouraging citizens to take responsibility for protecting their environment and by providing the education and resources they need to do so. Thus PRIDE, which stands for Personal Responsibility In a Desirable Environment, was started in 42 counties in Southern and Eastern Kentucky, including Lincoln County.

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Every April since 1998 has been established as PRIDE Spring Cleanup Month.
The PRIDE initiative is sponsored by Eastern Kentucky PRIDE, Inc., a nonprofit organization, which works to improve water quality, clean up solid waste problems, and advance environmental education in order to improve living conditions for Kentucky’s residents while enhancing the potential for tourism industry growth in the region.

The month-long Spring Cleanup campaign is your chance to make your community look its best by volunteering to pick up litter along roadsides and local tourist attractions. When you join the team of Spring Cleanup volunteers, you will:
Improve your community’s appearance.
Have fun with friends and family while working together in the great outdoors.
Inspire others to dispose of trash properly.
Prove you are proud to call this region home.

“PRIDE is all about appreciating the beauty of our region and taking personal responsibility for your corner of it,” said Tammie Nazario, President and CEO of PRIDE. “When you look at it that way, you realize that spring cleaning outside your house or business or church is just as important as spring cleaning inside.”

“‘Together We Can’ is our Spring Cleanup theme this year, and our track record proves that is true,” she said. “Since the first Spring Cleanup in 1998, 440,408 volunteers have donated nearly 1.5 million hours to PRIDE cleanups. Together, we have collected 183,531 tons of trash, plus 869,251 bags of trash and 971,926 tires. Clearly, together we can make a difference.”

PRIDE Coordinators appointed by mayors and judge-executives handle the local cleanup efforts. They work with the PRIDE staff to organize cleanup activities, recruit volunteers and track cleanup results.

In Lincoln County, Jane Vanhook is the PRIDE Coordinator for both the county and the City of Stanford. She can be reached at 606-365-9815. Marc Spivey, 606-346-2501, is the City of Hustonville PRIDE Coordinator.

“Volunteering during Spring Cleanup Month is important because there is so much litter due to the heavy rains and winds,” said Vanhook, who is a retired science teacher and is the STEM Program Leader at the Lincoln County Public Library.

“If we all work together to put litter in trash cans, recycle what we can, and pick up litter, then our clean city streets and county roads will be something we can be proud of,” Vanhook said.

Vanhook reminded Lincoln County and Stanford residents of these upcoming cleanup events:
Through April 5, Stanford is running the Curbside Spring Pickup. For details, call city hall, 606-365-4500.
On April 6, volunteers are invited to pick up litter throughout the city and county. In Stanford, volunteers should meet at the Chamber of Commerce by 9 a.m. for the Main St. Clean Sweep. They will clean until noon. To pick up volunteer registration forms and cleanup supplies before April 6, visit city hall or the courthouse or visit bggreensource.org.
On April 13, volunteers will pick up litter at Logan-Hubble Park after a wildflower walk, which begins at 9 a.m.

“Also, the City of Crab Orchard is planning a roadside cleanup, so please watch for announcements about that,” Vanhook added.

PRIDE will provide trash bags and gloves to volunteers who want to pick up litter and dispose of it with their own trash. For assistance, please call the PRIDE office, toll free, at 888-577-4339.

Volunteers are encouraged to contact their local PRIDE Coordinator after they pick up litter and dispose of it with their trash. The coordinator will add the volunteer hours to the city or county’s Spring Cleanup tally. PRIDE will recognize the region’s cities and counties with the most Spring Cleanup volunteers.

Nazario added that, to go along with this year’s “Together We Can” theme, PRIDE is encouraging volunteers to share photos of volunteering together on social media. She said to tag your photos with #PRIDESpringCleanup, #Volunteer and #TrashtagChallengePRIDE.”

The 2019 PRIDE Spring Cleanup is sponsored by Walmart and Outdoor Venture Corporation.

For more information, please visit www.kypride.org.