Perfect spring weather made for a great turn out at the annual Dale Hollow Spring Cleanup. This year nearly 150 volunteers came out to pick up trash around Dale Hollow and the roadways leading into the popular visitor attraction. This event is part of a month-long campaign that encourages volunteers in PRIDE’s 42 county service area to gather together to clean the roadways, waterways and visitor attractions throughout southern and eastern Kentucky.

Volunteers of all ages came out and collected a total of 378 bags of trash. PRIDE has been hosting a Spring Cleanup at Dale Hollow State Resort Park since 2011. This year marks the 20th anniversary of PRIDE and its efforts to make a positive impact on the environment throughout the region.

“Each year we anxiously look forward to our Dale Hollow Cleanup event in partnership with Eastern Kentucky PRIDE. This is a kickoff event in our community spring cleaning and getting ready for our summer visitors to Cumberland County. PRIDE has been a very important part of our Spring Cleanup here in Cumberland County since its origination in 1997,” said Cumberland County Judge/Executive John A. Phelps, Jr. “I continue to be overwhelmed when I hear many folks from other counties and other parts of Kentucky and even other states brag about how clean Cumberland County is. I believe we have PRIDE, our local staff and our wonderful community volunteers to thank for such wonderful comments made by our visitors to the area. It really makes a difference and people notice the efforts made here to keep our county clean.”

“It is so rewarding to see so many folks come out for this event,” said PRIDE’s Tammie Wilson. “Tourism season is here and it is important to make a good impression on visitors. It is so rewarding to see citizens take pride in their community and make it better for both residents and visitors.”

After the Cleanup, lunch was served to volunteers and they were given a commemorative “Generation of Change” t-shirt for their efforts. Door prizes were also given to several lucky winners thanks to the generous donations from local businesses and community organizations.

PRIDE would like to thank this year’s Spring Cleanup sponsors, Walmart, Kentucky’s Touchstone Energy Cooperatives, The Tennessee Valley Authority, Kentucky Utilities and Kentucky American Water. Their generous donations help make Spring Cleanup events across the region possible.

About PRIDE

PRIDE, which stands for “Personal Responsibility In a Desirable Environment,” was founded in 1997 by Congressman Hal Rogers (KY-5) and the late James Bickford, who was the Kentucky Secretary for Natural Resources and Environmental Protection. The PRIDE mission is to contribute to the economic and cultural growth of southern and eastern Kentucky by improving water quality, cleaning up solid waste problems and advancing environmental education, in order to improve living conditions for its residents while enhancing the potential for tourism industry growth in the region.