 April is PRIDE Spring Cleanup Month in southern and eastern Kentucky. Volunteers will enjoy the great outdoors as they remove litter from roadsides, beautify local welcome areas and plant redbud trees, just as the region’s recreation and tourist seasons begin. The first 20,000 volunteers will receive free T-shirts.
“PRIDE wants you to volunteer in April, and we invite you to leap into the planning process in March,” said Karen Engle, who heads the PRIDE organization. “An army of volunteers is needed to clean our vast region’s beautiful scenery and beautify each community’s entrance points. Coordinating such a large campaign requires lots of planning. We already are working with your county and city officials to prepare for the Spring Cleanup. We welcome your ideas and support.”
All citizens are encouraged to attend a free Spring Cleanup planning workshop. PRIDE and local officials will present current plans and solicit new ideas. Citizens will learn how to plan a Spring Cleanup event in their own neighborhood, join local beautification projects and assist with planting redbud trees.
To register for one of the five workshops listed below, please contact the PRIDE office at least one business day prior to the workshop by calling toll free 888-577-4339 or e-mailing PRIDE@centertech.com:- Monday, March 9, from 10 a.m. to noon, at Jenny Wiley State Resort Park, KY 304, Prestonsburg.
- Monday, March 9, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., at Natural Bridge State Resort Park, 2135 Natural Bridge Road, Slade.
- Tuesday, March 10, from 10 a.m. to noon, at the Kentucky River Area Development District office, 917 Perry Park Road, Hazard.
- Tuesday, March 10, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., at the London Community Center, 529 South Main Street, London.
- Thursday, March 12, from 10 a.m. to noon, at the Center for Rural Development, 2292 South Highway 27, Somerset.
April is also Redbud Month. Free Eastern Redbud seedlings and trees will be available to communities that participate in the Spring Cleanup, thanks to a partnership with TOUR Southern and Eastern Kentucky (TOUR SEKY), the region’s tourism development organization. TOUR SEKY began Redbud Month in 2004 to extend the region’s annual tourism season and has given away 350,000 seedlings since then.
PRIDE is a nonprofit organization that promotes “Personal Responsibility In a Desirable Environment” in 38 counties of southern and eastern Kentucky. It was founded in 1997 by Congressman Hal Rogers and Kentucky Environmental Protection Secretary James Bickford.
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