By Samantha Swindler / Managing Editor
More than 200 volunteers collected 226 bags of trash and four tires from along Corbin’s five-mile bypass Saturday morning during the fifth annual bypass cleanup.
The event is annually sponsored by Tri-County Cineplex, and volunteers were treated to free popcorn and movies after their hard work was completed.
“I am over the moon,” said organizer and cineplex owner Suzie Razmus. “First off, it’s a beautiful day, so that really makes it worthwhile, and we just get more and more volunteers every year. Everybody seems so excited to be here. Everybody’s got such a great attitude about it and they’re excited about going out and helping the community. I’m just really encouraged.”
First-time volunteer Eileene McMullen cleared a section of the bypass with her son and two grandchildren. She hopes to keep her new home looking better than her hometown.
“Have you ever seen Las Vegas? I’m from Las Vegas. I wish they would do this for that place, it’s so bad. I don’t want (Corbin) to look like that,” McMullen said. “This place is so beautiful, we’re going to help keep it clean.”
The cleanup is organized through PRIDE (Personal Responsibility In a Desirable Environment), a federally-funded environmental initiative for southeastern Kentucky. PRIDE provides volunteers with gloves, trash bags, safety vests and advice on the types of trash not to touch.
As in years past, Mix 96.1 out of Barbourville did a live remote from the movie theater. Southeast Telephone provided hot dogs and TECO Coal provided T-shirts for volunteers.
Razmus hopes publicity about PRIDE cleanups will help break residents’ litter habits. It’s also encouraging, she said, to have so many children participating in cleanups.
“It’s just systemic, this litter problem,” Razmus said. “People, they just don’t think about it. And I think having the awareness by doing these cleanups, people become aware that maybe they’re not supposed to throw something out a window.”
