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  • Mackenzie Walden gets a hug from her sister, 8-year-old Baleigh, after the assembly program which honored Mackenzie with the winning design for this year's PRIDE Spring Cleanup T-shirt. She also got a plaque for her work with the PRIDE Club at Corbin Middle School, where she's in the 7th Grade. Photo by Jeff Noble

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February 14, 2012

Corbin Middle student honored for T-shirt design

Times-Tribune

CORBIN — By Jeff Noble / Staff Writer

The students knew there would be a surprise at Corbin Middle School on Monday afternoon.

They knew that their school would be singled out for a couple of awards from the environmental group PRIDE (Personal Responsibility In a Desirable Environment), and that 5th District Congressman Hal Rogers would present the plaques in person.

But inside the Edwards Gym, no one had a clue that one of their own was named the winner of a contest to design the T-shirt for this year’s PRIDE Spring Cleanups.

Mackenzie Walden was sitting on the bleachers with the rest of the school’s PRIDE Club, when her award-winning design was revealed. Her face lit up.

“I didn’t know I would win. Ms. Moses gave us ideas for certain products to use the design for, and I just worked it around to fit the T-shirt,” said Walden, who’s a 7th Grader at Corbin Middle.

Her parents, Lonnie and Leigh Ann Walden, were there as well, along with her younger sister, 8-year-old Baleigh. But what Mackenzie didn’t know was the reaction Baleigh gave her after the award. Her little sister ran over and gave big sister a big hug, which made Mackenzie’s eyes water afterward.

“She’s always active in school, and is committed in whatever she does. I’m very proud of Mackenzie,” said her mom, Leigh Ann.

Her dad, Lonnie, agreed. “Proud as a parent can be of my daughter. I don’t know what to say.”

The winning slogan on Mackenzie’s winning T-shirt was, “Saving Our World, One Cleanup at a Time.” Out of 1,612 entries sent in by students across the 38 southeastern, eastern and southern Kentucky counties in PRIDE’s territory, hers was the winner.

Congressman Rogers gave Walden the first T-shirt printed that has her winning design, as well as the PRIDE Volunteer of the Month Award, for her spring cleanup contributions.

“You captured the spirit of PRIDE in your design, Mackenzie. And thanks to your fellow PRIDE Club members for your entries, and your efforts...We’ve come a long way, and in the past 15 years, we’ve removed over 2,800 illegal dumps and almost a million tires from our beautiful Kentucky land. Think about it. You don’t see all these dumps and tires on the landscape,” said Rogers during the assembly in the gym.

Moments later, the congressman posed for pictures with members of the school’s PRIDE Club and their sponsor, Corean Wells.

The awards and recognition came to Corbin Middle as the peak cleanup period begins to whirl into the region this spring.

This year of 2012 is the 15th year of PRIDE’s existence. April is the organization’s Spring Cleanup Month, and locally the kick-off event will be Saturday, March 24 at Cumberland Falls State Resort Park.

“This is the story of volunteers. Volunteers who make up PRIDE. From the bottom to the top, it’s about people who make the difference, and it says a lot about Kentuckians. They have a lot of pride in their land, and they want to keep it clean. These awards, and the volunteers who help with the clean up in April, fuels our organization,” said Rogers.

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