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PRIDE honors Davenports of Casey County

October 04, 2006

LIBERTY - Murrell and LaVerne Davenport are the PRIDE Volunteers of the Month for October 2006, it was announced today by Eastern Kentucky PRIDE.

They were recognized for leading the volunteer cleanup effort along their road, Ky. 501 in the Gilpin community.

During the annual spring and fall PRIDE cleanups, the Davenports organize volunteers to clean Ky. 501. They advertise the cleanups by calling their neighbors and make flyers to display in the two country stores on the road. The Davenports arrange for volunteers to leave their filled trash bags at the country stores until the county solid waste department can pick them up. If needed, they help hand out the cleanup supplies provided to the county by PRIDE.

"I want to thank Mr. and Mrs. Davenport for their leadership and commitment to community service," said Richard Thomas, PRIDE executive director. "By volunteering, they are making a difference in the appearance of their neighborhood. By encouraging others to volunteer, they are multiplying their own community spirit. If everyone followed their example, we would be much closer to our goal of restoring the natural beauty of southern and eastern Kentucky."

"They are just really nice people," said Jeffrey Thomas, the Casey County Solid Waste and PRIDE coordinator, who nominated the Davenports for the PRIDE award.

"They really care. They have helped with every PRIDE cleanup event since I became the PRIDE coordinator four years ago, and I'm sure they were active even before that. They've even called me to ask when the next cleanup will be because they're anxious to get started."

The PRIDE Volunteer of the Month program recognizes hard work and dedication to the PRIDE initiative. With corporate sponsorship from TECO Coal, WYMT-TV in Hazard airs commercials about each PRIDE Volunteer of the Month. The 12 Volunteers of the Month are considered for the annual Tony Turner Volunteer of the Year Award.

"Volunteers are the backbone of PRIDE," said 5th District Congressman Hal Rogers, R-Somerset, PRIDE co-founder. "We wouldn't be where we are without our volunteers. They have dedicated more than 500,000 hours to cleanup and environmental education projects. We want to thank TECO Coal for helping PRIDE give these generous people the recognition they deserve."

PRIDE serves 38 counties in southern and eastern Kentucky. It links citizens with the resources of local, state and federal agencies to clean up the region's waterways, end illegal trash dumps and promote environmental education and awareness. PRIDE is funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

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