Eleven-year-old helps environment
Efforts earn her national attention
By Erika Massek
April 19, 2007
When people walk around their neighborhood, they see leaves and branches lying on the ground. Well, Silver Lake Grade School fifth-grader Stacy Wade not only found a way to recycle that yard waste, but her efforts won her a trip to Hawaii.
Wade is one of four winners of a national
energy conservation contest, Igniting Creative Energy
Challenge, sponsored by Johnson Controls Inc., Philips Lighting
Company, and the United States Energy Association, and administered
by the National Energy Foundation. She competed against 2,000
entries with her scrapbook titled "Recipes for Recycling." The
scrapbook focused on how she and her dad work to save the
environment while raising money for her college
education.
Wade said she found out about the contest from her teacher and father.
"I found out from my teacher, Mrs. Larson. She gave the information to my dad and then my dad told me about it. I entered the contest because I like to recycle, and it's good for the environment," she said.
Her prize package included a paid vacation to Hawaii for her and one parent. The Wades paid for a third ticket and Stacy and her parents enjoyed the island from April 10 to 16. While in Hawaii, the Wades were treated like royalty with a 55-minute helicopter ride around the island of Kauai, horseback riding, tubing through caves, a picnic, and a luau.
Wade, who was featured on the CNN news station and local media including Channel 27 news, Channel 13 news, Channel 49 news, and the Topeka-Capital Journal, will also travel to Washington D.C. for an Energy Efficient Forum on June 12 and 13. This trip was also part of the prize package.
On a separate note, Wade's scrapbook also earned her first place in the Get Caught Recycling! contest sponsored by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. Wade competed against 10 Kansans across the state and received first place at the 2006 state fair. She won $2,500 to put toward a college savings account.
In return, her neighbors drop off old appliances in her driveway for her to recycle. S. Wade and her dad spend seven to 10 hours per week tearing the appliances apart. They clean and separate the pieces into several 5-gallon buckets. S. Wade has recycled more than 5,700 pounds of metal and has saved $900 from her recycling efforts.
K. Wade commented that he decided to recycle with his daughter so they could spend time together.
"This was a way we could spend time together, and at the same time, help the environment and teach her how to earn a dollar," he said.
S. Wade stated that she started recycling at a young age.
"I started recycling when I was five years old. I recycled the same things I recycle now: metals and yard wastes," she said.
S. Wade commented that her dad inspired her to recycle.
"He said when he was a kid he earned his own money by recycling. I think it is important to recycle because it keeps items from going to landfills. I would say to others if you recycle, it helps the environment and you," she said.
