PRIDE’s Spring Cleanup Campaign kicks off at Cumberland Falls

On Saturday, March 25, volunteers of all ages are invited to join the tenth annual PRIDE Spring Cleanup at Cumberland Falls State Resort Park from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. EST. Volunteers will pick up litter along Hwy. 90 and other roads near the park. All volunteers will receive a free lunch and they will be entered in a drawing for door prizes. Free T-shirts will be given to volunteers, while supplies last.
The Volunteer Cup trophy will be presented to the county with the most volunteers participating. With its win in 2016, Whitley County has claimed the Volunteer Cup four times since the annual event began. McCreary County has also won the cup four times. Here is your chance to break the tie by becoming a volunteer!
Awards will also be given to the school group and community group with the most volunteers represented. Volunteer registration will begin at 9 a.m. at the gift shop beside Cumberland Falls. Volunteer groups with children will be directed to age-appropriate cleanup areas. All volunteers should dress appropriately for working outdoors in the weather that morning. Sturdy shoes are recommended. PRIDE will provide disposable gloves, trash bags and safety vests.
“‘A Generation of Change’ is our Spring Cleanup theme this year. As PRIDE celebrates its 20th anniversary, we have certainly seen a change in the mindset of the residents of southern and eastern Kentucky, said PRIDE’s Tammie Wilson. “People are concerned with protecting their environment and teaching their children why it is important as well. We’ve made great strides in keeping the region clean over the last two decades.”
“There is still time to support the event by making donations toward the lunch and door prizes, which reward our hard-working volunteers,” Wilson added. “All donors will be recognized at the event, so this will be a good opportunity to demonstrate your commitment to community service.”
The event is a partnership among PRIDE, Cumberland Falls State Resort Park, McCreary County Fiscal Court 109 Board, Whitley County Fiscal Court, US Forest Service, McCreary County Extension Service, McCreary County Board of Education, Whitley County School System, Bank of McCreary County and Pine Knot Job Corp.
The Cumberland Falls Spring Cleanup is part of the PRIDE Spring Cleanup campaign across 42 counties of southern and eastern Kentucky. The region-wide PRIDE Spring Cleanup is sponsored by Walmart, Kentucky’s Touchstone Energy Cooperatives, The Tennessee Valley Authority, Kentucky Utilities and Kentucky American Water.
For more information, please call the PRIDE office, toll free, at 888-577-4339. To invite friends to volunteer, look for the Cumberland Falls Spring Cleanup event on Facebook.