Honor Society Reaches 20-Year Adopt-A-Highway Milestone

Edgecombe Community College’s chapter of Phi Theta Kappa has been recognized for 20 years of participation in Adopt-A-Highway. Tamara Frank-Pourvady, PTK advisor and professional tutor, holds a safety vest with a 20-year seal presented to the College by the NC Department of Transportation.

Edgecombe Community College’s chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa honor society was recently recognized for 20 years of participation in the Adopt-A-Highway program.

At least twice a year since 2000, the group has sponsored seasonal drives to pick up litter along a three-mile stretch of Wilson Street in front of the Tarboro campus.

The most recent Adopt-A-Highway cleanup was held on October 24, during which 16 volunteers collected 18 bags of trash.

Since 2000, more than 663 volunteers have gathered over 648 bags of trash through ECC Adopt-A-Highway events.

“If we place the measure of road we picked up end to end for every cleanup, our organization cleared the equivalent of a length of highway all the way to Burlington, NC, or just short of the distance to Duck, NC, on the Outer Banks,” explains Tamara Frank-Pourvady, PTK advisor and professional tutor.

According to a letter from the NC Department of Transportation, ECC’s Phi Theta Kappa chapter has participated in Adopt-A-Highway since July 2000. “We are pleased to award you two 20-year stars for your Adopt-A-Highway signs and a new safety vest with your 20-year seal,” the letter states.

“Currently, 4,500 Adopt-A-Highway groups are cleaning approximately 9,000 miles of state-maintained roads,” the letter continues. “Last year more than 50,000 volunteers from all 100 counties picked up more than 1 million pounds of litter.”

“We are proud of our Phi Theta Kappa chapter members for their commitment to preserving the beauty and cleanliness of our highways,” says Dr. Greg McLeod, ECC president.