County Executive Thomas P. Gordon is pleased to announce that Odyssey Charter School and Christ the Teacher Catholic School are the first prize winners for this year’s Great Schools, Clean Streams contest.
Odyssey successfully defended its top spot in the public and charter schools category, and Christ the Teacher School took the top spot among private schools. The county’s Department of Special Services sponsored the pledge drive, facilitated by Water Words That Work, between April 4 and April 21 to encourage residents to prevent water pollution by properly disposing of used cooking oil and grease.
“We congratulate the winners and all of the runners up for a job well done,” Gordon said. “These students have earned valuable cash prizes to help their schools buy classroom supplies, and they have learned the value of protecting the environment. In addition, the public as a whole benefits thanks to preventative maintenance that eliminates costly sewer repairs.”
In all, 8,014 people pledged to properly dispose of their used cooking oils, fats, and grease by putting these materials in the trash, instead of down the drain where it can lead to clogged and overflowing sewers. That included 5,727 pledges among public schools and 2,287 for private schools. This year’s pledges were more than triple last year’s grand total of 2,457 pledges.
"We want to thank all the parents, teachers, and school officials who helped make the campaign a success," said Daniel Sullivan with Special Services. "Working together, we all raised a lot of awareness about how residents can stop water pollution right in their own kitchens."
Water Words That Work’s Eric Eckl credited this year’s improved numbers to a multi-front effort to get the word out through outreach to school boards, PTAs, media outreach, extensive use of social media and NCCTV. He estimates that 602,184 pounds of fat, oil and grease will not go down the drain thanks to this year’s contest.
This year’s winners are invited to the NCCTV Studio for interviews with Spotlight on New Castle County host Melody Kitchen.
“I look forward to interviewing the winners of this year’s Great Schools, Clean Streams contest,” Kitchen said. “Students can be very creative for such things, and it’s always fun to hear from them.”
The upcoming show will be available at www.YouTube.com/NCCDE.
Public/Charter School Category Winners:
• First Place, Odyssey Charter School, 1048 pledges, $1,500
• Second Place, Cab Calloway School for the Arts, 948 pledges, $1,000
• Third Place, William Penn High School, 728 pledges, $500
Private School Category Winners:
• First Place, Christ the Teacher Catholic School, 478 pledges, $1,500
• Second Place, Holy Angels Elementary School, 341 pledges, $1,000
• Third Place, Caravel Academy, 326 pledges, $500
Honorable Mentions (all receive $200):
1. Linden Hill Elementary School , 424 pledges
2. Forest Oak Elementary School, 367 pledges
3. Brandywine Springs School , 323 pledges
4. Sanford School, 296 pledges
5. MOT Charter School, 292 pledges
6. All Saints Catholic School, 254 pledges
7. North Star Elementary School, 221 pledges
8. Newark High School, 148 pledges
9. St. Elizabeth Elementary School, 147 pledges
10. The Tatnall School, 141 pledges
For more information:
Daniel Sullivan, New Castle County Department of Special Services, (302) 395-5707 [email protected]
Eric Eckl, Water Words That Work LLC, (703) 829-6732 ext. 6, [email protected]
Or visit www.GreatSchoolsCleanStreams.org
For questions on NCCTV’s coverage of “Great Schools, Clean Streams,” call Tony Prado at (302) 395-5108 or Melody Kitchen at (302) 395-5117.
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