PRIDE volunteers set new record: 31,239 in Spring Cleanup

A record number of volunteers participated in the annual PRIDE Spring Cleanup in April 2010, according to an announcement made by Congressman Hal Rogers (KY-5).
“We had a goal of 30,000 volunteers, and we actually saw 31,200 prideful people take part in cleaning up southern and eastern Kentucky,” said Rogers, who co-founded PRIDE.
This was the largest number of PRIDE Spring Cleanup volunteers since the annual event began in 1998.
“I want to commend every volunteer who dedicated their time and efforts this spring,” Rogers added. “You continue to restore PRIDE in southern and eastern Kentucky every April, and you make me proud. Keep up the good work!”
The 2010 PRIDE Spring Cleanup netted 34,098 bags of trash, 7,834 old tires, 1,908 junk appliances, and 130,400 pounds of recyclable materials. In addition, county governments cleaned up 26 illegal dumps.
These region-wide PRIDE Spring Cleanup results combine the local results submitted to the PRIDE office by the cities and counties that participated in the month-long cleanup campaign in April 2010.
During the PRIDE Spring Cleanup, local PRIDE Coordinators organized cleanup activities and recruited volunteers to pick up litter. PRIDE supplied free T-shirts and cleanup supplies for the volunteers, and PRIDE awarded $587,500 to cities and counties to help pay for disposing of roadside litter, removing illegal dumps, and offering free trash-disposal events.
The 2010 PRIDE Spring Cleanup was sponsored by Wal-Mart, Outdoor Venture Corporation, and SouthEast Telephone.
PRIDE is a nonprofit organization that promotes “Personal Responsibility In a Desirable Environment” in southern and eastern Kentucky. It was founded in 1997 by Rogers and the late James E. Bickford, who was the Kentucky Environmental Protection and Natural Resources.
To learn more, please visit the PRIDE web site, www.kypride.org