Cove student recycles markers and crayons

Special to the Leader-Press 

As teachers prepared to clean out their classrooms for summer, Young Miss Five Hills Allyssa  Kimball took advantage of the opportunity to save Mother Earth.
Kimball created a flyer sent to Copperas Cove ISD staff members encouraging them to save their used markers and broken crayons and donate them to her for Crayola’s ColorCycle program. 
“I did this project because I wanted to save all of the markers/crayons that are thrown away at the end of every school year and recycle them. I learned that we can send them to Crayola and they will recycle the markers will eliminate placing hundreds of markers into landfills. I thought it would be a great way to recycle in my community which aligns with my community service platform as Young Miss Five Hills,” Kimball said. 
Crayola recently announced a program called ColorCycle that uses a process to convert markers to energy -- a process that repurposes the entire marker, regardless of the different kinds of plastic or how they are assembled. All brands of plastic markers, not just Crayola markers, are accepted including dry erase markers and highlighters.  
“I collected markers and crayons from teachers throughout CCISD, Taylor Creek Elementary, St. Joseph Catholic School, and from friends who were cleaning out their art supplies,” Kimball said. “I am so thankful for all of the donations that I was given and I am glad to see all the support this project gained. I am still going to continue to collect crayons and markers as people have them.” 
Kimball has collected hundreds of markers and crayons and will continue the project indefinitely.  Used markers and broken crayons may be dropped off at the CCISD Administration Building, 703 W. Ave. D, or arrange to have them picked up by emailing Kimball at fivehillspageant@gmail.com.
The royalty also were hosted by Domino’s to make their own pizzas and attended the Gatesville Shivaree Pageant and the Miss Austin USA Pageant as visiting royalty representing the City of Copperas Cove.  They also participated in the opening ceremonies for National Cancer Survivors Day at Killeen Scott & White Cancer Center.
In royal sightings this week, the royalty will wash thousands of pounds of clothing to help students in-need through Communities in Schools, host bingo at a local nursing home and walk to help the homeless.