Bi-annual event rewards students for keeping the community clean
To quote Bill Nye the Science Guy, to leave the world better than you found it, sometimes you have to pick up other people’s trash.
And the Somerset-Pulaski Economic Development Authority (SPEDA) wants to reward you for doing so.
SPEDA will host its bi-annual Triple Bag Challenge during Earth Day week, April 22-27. This contest, held in spring and fall, is open to all elementary through high school students in Somerset and Pulaski County. The Triple Bag Challenge inspires environmental stewardship while rewarding students’ cleanup efforts — not only in prizes but in earning valuable community service experience to include on resumes and in applications for jobs, leadership programs, scholarships and colleges.
Registering is easy: Just contact SPEDA (see contact information at the end of this story), then collect three bags of trash from local roadways between April 22-27. Post before-and-after photos of your efforts on Facebook or Instagram using #spctriplesweep, and you will be entered to win one of several prizes, including $500 cash and season passes to SomerSplash Waterpark.
Since its launch in 2019, the Triple Bag Challenge has awarded thousands of dollars in prizes to students who have donated their time to keep Somerset and Pulaski County beautiful.
The Triple Bag Challenge is one of many community cleanup initiatives throughout the year. Other events include the U.S. Corps of Engineers Friends of Lake Cumberland Cleanup, Eastern Kentucky PRIDE’s Spring Clean Sweep, and the Somerset-Pulaski County Chamber of Commerce’s Operation Beautification. SPEDA proudly sponsors Operation Beautification, which in three years has brought together 1,252 volunteers who cleaned trash on 214 miles of roadway and collected 2,137 bags of trash.
SPEDA President and CEO Chris Girdler said while picking up other people’s trash might not seem glamorous, it can certainly be rewarding. He encouraged students to partner up with friends and participate so they can be a part of something bigger than themselves.
“We are all so proud of Somerset, Pulaski County, and our beautiful Lake Cumberland,” Girdler said. “And we hope we’re leaving it better for our young people than we found it. But that means we must pitch in and work together to make it a better place to live, work and play. With tourism as our top industry and more than 4 million people who travel to The Capital of Lake Cumberland every year, efforts like these are so important in ensuring we’re making a great impression and that we’re teaching the next generation the importance of being responsible and good stewards of our environment.”
Participating students or their parents must sign up with SPEDA to participate — only those who complete the necessary paperwork will be eligible for prizes. Additionally, students (or their parents, who are posting on their behalf) must ensure their privacy settings on social media posts related to the Triple Bag Challenge are set to public so SPEDA’s team can see those photos and confirm participation.
To register, call (606) 425-5409 or email jessica@speda.org.