SOMERSET, KY — The Kentucky Association of Highway Contractors (KAHC) has donated $5,000 in support of PRIDE’s 20-year anniversary, becoming a gold sponsor of PRIDE activities taking place throughout 2017.
This includes the annual Spring Cleanup Campaign where more than 430,000 volunteers have donated nearly 1.5 million hours of time to clean up the landscape of southern and eastern Kentucky.
“We have been supporters of PRIDE for many years because we believe one of the gifts of living in Kentucky is the state’s natural beauty and that our state should be shown in its best light,” said Chad LaRue, Executive Director of the KAHC. “PRIDE helps make that happen through concentrated efforts to clean up the hillsides, highways and waterways of eastern Kentucky and educating the next generation on the importance of appreciating the gift we have in our natural environment and the work it takes to keep it.”
The Kentucky Association of Highway Contractors operates as a nonprofit trade association that represents highway contractors in Kentucky. KAHC promotes the interests of its members by acting as a lobbying group and training service. KAHC’s relationship with PRIDE dates back to 2002. The organizations have worked together on numerous Spring Cleanup events and other projects designed to keep Kentucky’s roadways clean and inviting to both residents and visitors.
“We are excited to once again be working with KAHC,” said PRIDE President and CEO Tammie Wilson. “We share the same vision for a clean and beautiful region and by working together we are able to make great strides toward that goal.”
During Spring Cleanup Month, PRIDE works with communities to pick up roadside litter, clean up dumps and offer free trash drop-off events. Local governments organize Spring Cleanup activities, and PRIDE provides volunteers with cleanup supplies and funding assistance when available.
PRIDE will also host various activities throughout 2017 to celebrate their 20th Anniversary. The theme for this year’s celebration is “A Generation of Change.” In the two decades since PRIDE’s founding, a new generation of environmental stewards has been created and PRIDE hopes to continue that legacy for years to come.
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.
