Annual Trash Bowl is underway

With the 2022-2023 school year under, the Trash Bowl competition has returned. Each September, Keep Rutherford County Beautiful hosts the Trash Bowl Competition where Rutherford County High Schools compete to see who can collect the most litter from public spaces. The 2022 Trash Bowl kicked off Friday, September 16 and runs through the end of the month. The Trash Bowl coincides with other litter sweeps statewide, and supports the North Carolina Department of Transportation's litter initiative.

Republic Services is providing two specially marked litter collection bins for each participating school and weigh them at the end of the competition to determine the winner. Their donation and coordination of the bins each year makes the competition possible. Keep Rutherford County Beautiful will supply gloves and vests, and the North Carolina Department of Transportation is supplying trash bags for registered schools and pick up groups. Students under the age of 18 picking up litter off campus must be supervised by a chaperone at least 21 years of age. Parents and faculty are encouraged to get involved. No household or inside trash is allowed. Appropriate locations to pick up litter are on campus, roadways, trails, parks and parking lots.

Last year, over 6,000 pounds of litter were eliminated by five Rutherford County high schools and their supporters. This year an unprecedented number of schools have joined the Trash Bowl. Eight high schools have committed: Chase High School, East Rutherford High School, Lake Lure Classical Academy (reigning champion), Masters Academy, R-S Central High School, Rutherford Opportunity Center, Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy, and Trinity Christian School.

"We hope to collect more litter this Trash Bowl Competition than ever before," says Don Cason, Executive Director of the Rutherford County Tourism Development Authority. "While we were still able to pick up thousands of pounds last year, we expect to have a much larger sweep this year as we move further away from the worst of the pandemic. Coming out of COVID is a big challenge. In our current climate of single-use products, it is essential that we put forth the effort to clean up our public spaces. We hope the large turnout this year will help make up for all the extra litter we have seen in the county," Cason said.

Clark Poole, former executive director of the Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce, has faith in the youth leading Rutherford County into the future.

"The young people in our county asked Keep Rutherford County Beautiful if they could participate in picking up the trash that we left on the side of the road... So it started," he says. We have eight schools in our county that are going to pick up litter for two weeks - This is litter that we in the county have created. Not just tourists, but that we left by the roadside. I'm reminded of when I threw a McDonald's bag out the window and my kids went ballistic. Don't do that. So we know that our kids are going to lead us to have a clean and beautiful county."

The winning school will house the Trash Bowl Trophy on their campus until next Fall. Standing over 15" tall and 20 lbs in weight, the trophy displays each year's winner along with the amount collected on a plaque. The upcycled trophy was forged by Jordan Jackson of Night Owl Iron Works, a Rutherford County blacksmith and a winner of History Channel's "Forged in Fire" blacksmithing competition.

Lake Lure Classical Academy was the 2021 winner with 1,880 pounds of litter collected and Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy took home the trophy the first year, in 2019, with 2,714 pounds of litter collected.

Faculty members are showing their support in organizing this year's efforts. Chase High School has numerous faculty stepping into leadership positions; Katherine Ash, head of the Anchor Club, Maggie Crowe, head of the Beta Club, and Katherine Glover, AP Biology teacher.

Todd Whitley, social studies teacher and head of the environmental club, will lead the efforts at East Rutherford High School.

Science teacher Clint Calhoun will lead Lake Lure Classical Academy along with Assistant Principal Michael Smith.

The Master's Academy's efforts have been spearheaded by Christine Bishop.

Assistant Principal Jennifer Walker will be leading R-S Central High School's efforts.

Crystal Bridges, school counselor at Rutherford Opportunity Center (ROC) is excited about ROC's first year participating. "We may be a smaller school," she says, "but we have a lot of students who want to give back to the community and be active, especially after COVID-19."

Kimberly Lloyd, Director of Student Affairs, Megan Witte, head of Environmental Club, and Misty Yelton, head of Recycling Club, will represent Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy.

Amanda Erwood, first grade teacher, will represent Trinity Christian School. Please reach out to your school's representative to join the fight against litterbugs.

"This is the perfect opportunity to come together with your fellow educators, students, faculty and alumni to show support for your favorite district and beautify the amazing place we get to call home," says Jenna Bailey, Keep Rutherford County Beautiful Litter Committee Chair. "Everyone has a reason to participate this year with so many schools in the running- everyone has one of these schools close to their heart. Use this opportunity to show your love and pride for Rutherford County and encourage the next generation to do the same."

Participation is not limited to students and faculty. Anyone over the age of 12 may join the Trash Bowl competition to support their school of choice. Clark Poole encourages everyone to join the effort, saying, "We have become much more proud to become citizens of Rutherford County than we were five years ago, even 40 years ago when textiles was booming and everybody was so very happy. Now we have discovered a sense of purpose," Poole said.

"We are very protective of saying we have such a beautiful place to live. Let's be a part in participating and making it a beautiful place. Everybody here that's a native is alumni of one of the high schools. If you want to pick up litter, get a bag, pick up the litter, and drop it off at your school that you attended. You'll be helping those kids because they're competing for a trophy. Lake Lure Classical Academy won last year. R-S Central says they won't let them win this year. It's yet to be determined which school has the most participation," Poole said.

Keep Rutherford County Beautiful's mascots, Roxi and Rocki the Racoon, will be attending high school football games and school events throughout the competition to encourage the schools, answer any questions and cheer them on.

Rocki will be inspiring football fans at both R-S Central and East Rutherford High Schools this Friday night. The public is encouraged to speak to Keep Rutherford County Beautiful representatives in yellow shirts and sign up to participate during those games.

The Trash Bowl is a great way to teach students to take pride in their community. The friendly competition encourages students to become the next generation of environmental stewards.

Participating students also become eligible to apply for Keep Rutherford County Beautiful's Green Scholarship. It is the hope of Keep Rutherford County Beautiful to inspire the next generation to take care of the spaces where we all live, work and play, said Jeana Washburn Bailey, of Keep Rutherford County Beautiful.