KCCB, Five Hills royalty holding Earth Day activities this week

By LYNETTE SOWELL 

Cove Leader-Press 

This week, Keep Copperas Cove Beautiful (KCCB) and the Copperas Cove Five Hills Scholarship Pageant are teaming up for a weeklong event, “Celebrate Earth Day Every Day.”

With Earth Day being Wednesday, April 22, and Arbor Day on Friday, the royalty along with KCCB agreed that during this time of social distancing, it didn’t mean that residents can’t participate apart from each other. 

With events for this year’s Great American Cleanup canceled, such as the Don’t Mess With Texas Trash-Off, which was to have been held on Saturday, April 4, this week’s Earth Day events will help residents participate in cleaning up the community and to make recycling and upcycling a habit. 

Residents are encouraged to participate in activities all week long while following social distancing guidelines.

On Monday, April 20, residents are encouraged to pick up trash as they walk through their neighborhoods. 

On Tuesday, April 21, residents can upcycle or repurpose an item in the home instead of throwing it away. 

Then on Wednesday, residents are encouraged to donate clothing they no longer want to wear, instead of throwing garments away.

Thursday, recycling is encouraged, especially paper and plastic, which are collected twice per month via the city’s single-stream recycling program. 

Friday, April 24, is Arbor Day, when residents are encouraged to plant flowers, other plants, or a tree.

Residents are encouraged to take pictures of their activities and email to kccb@copperascovetx.gov, or share them on KCCB’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/KeepCopperasCoveBeautiful.

This year, as in years past, KCCB is tracking its events and any activities residents participate in related to sustainability and recycling. 

Saturday, April 25 wraps up the week with the Spring Clean-Up at the city’s Solid Waste Department. From 8 a.m. until noon, Copperas Cove residents may make two trips to dispose of bulk items and trash at no additional charge. Proof of residency or city utility bill is required. There is a fee for disposal of tires. 

For further information or questions please contact Roxanne Flores-Achmad, KCCB Executive Director, at kccb@copperascovetx.gov or (254)547-4242.

Miss Five Hills Emerald Bentley was the one who approached KCCB about partnering for the weeklong event.

“My 4-year-old daughter inspired me. We have been taking more walks lately and she continuously reminds me when we see litter that it is dangerous to animals and the earth. As we can see currently, when humans slow down around the world, the earth can heal and operate more effectively without out so much interference from society. I decided to take this week to teach our family that it is more than just littering that affects the earth,” said Bentley. “We plan to learn about pollination, the job of trees/flowers, how to recycle, upcycle, and use this ‘slow down’ to help the earth.”

Preteen Miss Five Hills Kaydence Roberts is also on-board with the event. 

“I love to donate my clothes that I no longer fit so that other girls can use them and and enjoy wearing them as much as I did. It also means that I get to buy new clothes which a lot of times also comes from thrift stores that other people donated,” said Roberts. 

Junior Miss Five Hills Hayley Sawyer has helped at past KCCB events such as the waterway cleanup.

“I loved everything I did for Earth Week but if I had to pick the most rewarding, it would be planting the gorgeous apricot flowers by our tree and clearing the trash in South Park by the waterway so that everyone can enjoy something truly beautiful, especially while we are all going through these difficult times. I think it’s really amazing to see the beauty in nature and help preserve it.”