MONCKS CORNER, S.C. – Santee Cooper received the 2023 Lower Region Group Leadership Award from the South Carolina Litter Control Association and Palmetto Pride/Keep SC Beautiful. The award recognizes Santee Cooper for its partnership with Keep Conway Beautiful and its commitment to helping with monthly cleanups for the organization.
“Our team strives to not only be a part of the communities where we live but to make them better,” said Energy Advisor Parker Diedrich, who accepted the award and helps lead the events for Santee Cooper. “We enjoy helping Keep Conway Beautiful and similar organizations around the area.”
Keep Conway Beautiful meets monthly to pick up litter within the city. In 2022, 71 Santee Cooper team members helped clean up 720 pounds of litter. So far this year, 85 team members have picked up 430 pounds of litter along more than four miles of roadway.
“Santee Cooper employees reached out to me with the initial idea of the cleanups and helped to establish our first ever ‘Utility Service Day’ that resulted in us cleaning up almost 600 pounds of litter in an hour with a little over 75 volunteers from several utilities for this one event,” said Nevada Mileur, Program Coordinator for Keep Conway Beautiful. “These cleanups would not exist without the hard work and dedication of the Santee Cooper employees. We are appreciative that they partnered with us to make a difference in our community.”
Santee Cooper received the award from the South Carolina Litter Control Association and PalmettoPride/Keep SC Beautiful at a Sept. 7 awards ceremony. The City of Conway recognized Santee Cooper’s award at its Sept. 18 council meeting.
“A reliable volunteer network is vital to the KSCB affiliates,” said PalmettoPride executive director Sarah Lyles. “With support from Santee Cooper, Keep Conway Beautiful continues to be a cornerstone of the community.”