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On Nov. 10, PRIDE presented its annual Envi Awards to schools, volunteers and community leaders for excellence in environmental stewardship.
The ceremony's theme, "Green with Envi," reflected the inspirational efforts of the Envi Award honorees. By sharing their stories, PRIDE intended to motivate other citizens to follow their example and make a difference in their environment.
The PRIDE Campus of the Year Awards honored the elementary, middle, and high school that excelled at hands-on environmental learning with creativity and community involvement while meeting state curriculum guidelines.
Saint Camillus Academy (Knox County) won the PRIDE Elementary School Campus of the Year Award. Finalists for the award were Clay County's Manchester Elementary School and Wayne County's Walker Elementary School.
Lee County Middle School was named the PRIDE Middle School Campus of the Year. Corbin Middle School and Russell County Middle School were finalists for the award.
Leslie County High School won the PRIDE High School Campus of the Year Award. Letcher County Central High School and Somerset Independent High School were finalists.
The Challenger Learning Center of Kentucky (Perry County) won the PRIDE College/Community Project of the Year Award , which recognizes education programs that go beyond the classroom. The finalists were the Knox County UNITE Coalition and Friends of Wolf Creek National Fish Hatchery, Inc., which is in Russell County.
Benny and Culley Abner (Perry County) earned the Tony Turner Volunteer of the Year Award for going above and beyond the ordinary to improve the environment. Finalists for the award were John Strojan of Laurel County and Phillip Lucas of Lee County.
Russell County Middle School Teacher Jean Clement won the Rogers-Bickford Environmental Leadership Award by demonstrating environmental stewardship to follow. The Adair County Fiscal Court and Pulaski County Solid Waste Coordinator Gerald Hines were the finalists.
J.C. Egnew, President and Chairman of Outdoor Venture Corporation (McCreary County), was presented with the Kentucky PRIDE Award for efforts that make the Commonwealth a better place to live.
In keeping with the theme of the 2008 Envi Awards, Green with Envi Awards spotlighted conservation projects that PRIDE would like to spread. The awards were presented to:- Don Combs, a senior at Pikeville Independent High School, for launching a multi-school recycling program.
- Corbin Independent Middle School PRIDE Club for its "Live Green" community education project.
- Pike County Judge-Executive Wayne T. Rutherford and Pike County Fiscal Court for pursuing an innovative plant that will convert municipal waste into ethanol.
- East Kentucky Power Cooperative for offering members an alternative energy source through its EnviroWatts program, which converts methane gas at landfills into electricity.
- Coal Mining Our Future for cleaning up three dumps in Perry County, saving the fiscal court $500,000.
SouthEast Telephone Company (Pike County) won the Unsung Hero Award for dedicated service toward fulfilling the PRIDE mission. The company supports PRIDE volunteers across the region by providing their bottled water, as well as donating and cooking food at large cleanup events.
“I congratulate all our finalists and winners for your achievements,” said by Congressman Hal Rogers (KY-5), who co-founded PRIDE. “You have earned special recognition among a remarkable class — the thousands of students, volunteers, elected officials and business owners who make a difference day after day with PRIDE. I also want to thank those people at home who show personal responsibility for our environment.”
Rogers said that 262,955 volunteers have donated 947,798 hours to PRIDE cleanup and education efforts since 1997. In that time, 2,714 dumps have been cleaned up, and 535,485 students have enjoyed hands-on environmental learning projects.
He went on to challenge the region to take new steps in caring for the environment, such as recycling. “Recycling and reusing actually are part of our region’s thrifty, self-sufficient heritage,” Rogers said. “Old clothes become beautiful quilts, and canning jars are used year after year. We just need to look at all our resources in that light.”
In addition to Rogers, special guests were former NFL and UK Quarterback Tim Couch and Paul P. Bollinger, Jr., Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Energy and Partnerships. Musical guests were the 23 String Band and the Rhythm Express Cloggers.
The event was made possible by SI International, Kentucky Association of Highway Contractors, Whayne Supply and Republic Bank & Trust Co.
The PRIDE Envi Awards are presented annually to honor the individuals and organizations who excelled at pursuing the PRIDE mission — Personal Responsibility In A Desirable Environment. PRIDE is an environmental cleanup and education initiative in 38 counties of southern and eastern Kentucky. It was founded by Congressman Rogers and James E. Bickford, the former Kentucky Secretary of Environmental Protection.
For more information, please call the PRIDE office, toll free, at 1-888-577-4339.
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