Adopt-A-Highway Celebrates 30 Years Of Volunteers

(May 2, 2018) –On Tuesday, May 1, 2018, PalmettoPride celebrated the 30th anniversary of Adopt-A-Highway at the annual awards luncheon in Columbia. Volunteers and county coordinators gathered to celebrate and be recognized for county, region, and statewide Adopt-A-Highway Awards. A list of award winners is included with this release.

Since 1988, Adopt-A-Highway volunteers have been cleaning up litter along South Carolina highways, providing a crucial source of litter removal services from the mountains to the seas. The SC Department of Transportation county employees have also dedicated efforts to this program, coordinating pickup and supplies for their groups.

“South Carolina owes these incredible volunteers a great debt of gratitude for the years of dedication and litter removal,” said Mallory Biering, Adopt-A-Highway Program Manager. “State and local governments do not have budgets for cleanup crews and the service these volunteers provide is crucial for cleanup.”

The benefits of adopting a highway are many – personal pride, being active, community service hour requirements – but perhaps the most important reason is that volunteers connect to their community, fostering a responsibility for its overall health. Clean communities are safe communities. Clean communities are good for tourism and economic development.

“Research shows that people litter where they feel no connection or sense of ownership,” said Biering. “If everyone would adopt a road and spend time cleaning up litter, we would have a much cleaner state.”

The dedication of the many volunteers in South Carolina’s Adopt-A-Highway program has helped state and local governments save millions in costs to pick up litter. The financial benefit or “cost avoidance” this provides to state and local governments equates to $1,460,187.

Adopt-A-Highway 2017 Annual Statistics

  • 21,905 volunteers
  • 1,654 groups
  • 4,658.97 miles adopted
  • 1,545,018 pounds of trash collected
  • 166 new groups

For more information about Adopt-A-Highway, please contact Mallory Biering at mbiering@palmettopride.org or 803-758-6034.

About PalmettoPride & Keep South Carolina Beautiful

PalmettoPride is a 501C3 non-profit litter prevention organization in South Carolina. We engage citizens to take an active role in keeping their communities clean and beautiful. Our programs have helped reduce litter by more than 60%. For more information, please visit www.palmettopride.org.

Group of the Year County Award Winners

Anderson County Palmetto High AFJROTC
Bamberg County Bamberg County VFW Post 10595
Barnwell County Barnwell County Sheriff’s Department
Beaufort County Sun City Veterans
Berkeley County A Smard Idea! & In Skipper’s Honor
Calhoun County Town of Neeses
Charleston County SC Center for Birds of Prey
Cherokee County SC Santee Indian Nation
Chester County Town of Richburg
Chesterfield County In memory of CPL Kelly Keith
Clarendon County Sons of Confederate Veterans
Colleton County RCBS Community
Dillon County Josh Andrews 2010
Edgefield County Concordia Lodge #50 AFM
Fairfield County Macedonia Baptist Church Brotherhood
Georgetown County Sampit Community Crime Watch Action Group
Greenville County Bible Baptist Church
Greenwood County FujiFilm U.S.A.
Hampton County Sand Hill Baptist Church
Horry County Island Green Men’s Golf Association
Jasper County Rosemary Road Outreach Community
Kershaw County Knights Hill Neighbors
Lancaster County Group Build/Communities in Schools
Laurens Carolina Pastures
Lee County Mechanicsville United Methodist Men
Lexington County McGregor Presbyterian Church
Marion County Azalea Garden Club
Marlboro County English-Adams Family
McCormick County Savannah Lakes Village Road Warriors
Newberry County St. Luke’s Lutheran Men in Mission
Oconee County REBLES in Grey 2027
Orangeburg County Eastern Hebron Grace Home
Orangeburg County Central K.R.D.M. United
Pickens County Lawrence Chapel United Methodist Church
Saluda County Saluda Middle School BETA Club & Student Council
Spartanburg County Spartanburg Methodist College
Sumter County The Ferry Keepers
Williamsburg County Mouzon Community Team
York County Community Pride

 

Group of the Year – Region Award Winners

District One Kershaw County Knights Hill Neighbors
District Two Laurens County Carolina Pastures
District Three Spartanburg County Spartanburg Methodist College
District Four Lancaster County Group Build/Communities in Schools
District Five Marion County Azalea Garden Club
District Six Colleton County RCBS Community
District Seven Aiken County Church of Our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ

 

Group of the Year – State Award Winner

District Five Marion County Azalea Garden Club

 

Adopt-A-Highway Coordinator of the Year – Region Award Winner

District One Kershaw County Dee Michaelsen
District Two Laurens County Jay Weisner, III
District Three Oconee County Lisa Nock
District Four Lancaster County Julie Deese
District Five Horry County Dixie Anderson
District Six Berkeley County Sarah McCarthy-Smith
District Seven Aiken County Barbara Sanders

 

Adopt-A-Highway Coordinator of the Year – State Award Winner

District Six Berkeley County Sarah McCarthy-Smith
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