Andrea Meador
“Reduce, reuse and recycle,” groups of kids said in unison Friday at the School Recycling Awards. “We do it because it’s the right thing to do!”
Friday morning’s ceremony marked the third year of the Race to Recycle’s initiatives. For the 2008-09 school year, 3,748 pounds of aluminum and 881,732 pounds of paper and cardboard were recycled, coming to a grand total of 442.7 tons. The money raised for schools totaled $4,607.03.
The top three winners that recycled the most were Fairdale Elementary with 82,880 pounds, Marsh Fork Elementary with 70,800 pounds and St. Francis de Sales with 67,787 pounds. Marsh Fork Elementary won the Stanley Cup of Recycling and a chance to record its own recycling commercial.
“It feels good to recycle,” Emilee Russell, fifth-grader of Marsh Fork Elementary, said. “It’s very important to take care of the earth.”
Four schools were given certificates of participation, including St. Francis De Sales, Daniels Elementary, Ghent Elementary and Shady Elementary.
Top recycling schools also won additional bonus money from the Corporate Green Team. Corporate Green Team sponsors include Sam’s Club, Lee Supply Co. Inc., Walker Machinery, City National Bank, United Bank, First Community Bank, Buckner Woodford Clay III Memorial Fund, Bank of Mount Hope, Beaver Coal Co., Mac’s Toy Fund, J&J; Fabricating & Trailers Inc., Mountain State University, Rist, Higgins & Associates, Boxley Aggregates of West Virginia, 4-C Economic Development Authority and Wal-Mart of Beckley, MacArthur and Fayetteville.
Jeremy Starks, renowned angler, made a guest appearance at the ceremony. Starks awarded Beckley-Stratton Middle School student Corey McCoy a lifetime fishing license. At the beginning, each kid was given a ticket and entered in for a drawing to win the license.
Shady Spring High School graduate Jonathan Campbell won the Katie L. Suggs recycling trophy. Katie Suggs, daughter of Lisa Suggs, was in sixth grade when the recycling program was started and the trophy represents those who have recycled from elementary school to high school.
Michael Combs, teacher from Marsh Fork Elementary, was awarded a two-night stay for six at the Holiday Inn in Beckley, six bowling tickets for Leisure Lanes, dinner at Applebee’s for six and movie tickets for six at Marquee Cinemas.
Four students from Marsh Fork Elementary, Josh Cook, Melena Kinser, Brandon Lemon and Trevor Quarles, won four tickets each to Busch Gardens.
Bill Patton, RCSWA director of operations, was also recognized and awarded a certificate for his years of service and commitment to the recycling program.
Sherrie Hunter, RCSWA director of education, says the program is not only important for reducing the carbon footprint, but it’s also important because 25 percent of the money goes back into the schools.
“When you think about things that could have been thrown away, the money they got back is a lot,” she said. “The market has been a little rougher this year than in past years, but they still managed to recycle a lot and to get back some money.”
