WVDEP and WVDOT celebrate Adopt-A-Highway volunteers with a picnic

ROANOKE, W.Va. (WBOY) — The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection and the West Virginia Department of Transportation held its annual Adopt-A-Highway volunteer picnic Saturday at Stonewall Resort.

In the late 1980s, the Adopt-A-Highway Program under the Division of Natural Resources improved the environment by encouraging the public to get involved in the elimination of highway litter. Celebrations for the volunteers included bingo, children’s games, and a complimentary lunch to show their appreciation.

“Each location there is a volunteer at least in all 55 counties so the whole state is beautified because of them. They are just so helpful to all of us. They do clean-up events, it’s only required two times a year, but they go out throughout the whole entire year and clean up. So, this is just our big appreciation,” the WVDEP Adopt-A-Highway coordinator Chelsea Runion said.

During the afternoon, the organizations presented a presentation of awards and the announcement of the 2024 Adopt-A-Highway Volunteer of the Year. Officials stated the volunteers of the Adopt-A-Highway program remove more than 230,000 pounds of litter from state highways each year.

“So, the Volunteer of the Year, this year she is actually 16-year-old girl, her name is Lilly Hershman, she’s with the Sandy Pals group,” Runion said.

The Adopt-A-Highway program saves taxpayers money by increasing public awareness and serving as an educational tool by focusing on the consequences of littering.

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