One Kentucky woman has a goal of cleaning up Kentucky.

She surpassed her goal by collecting 11,000 bags of trash.

Now her mission is to keep reaching new milestones in her trash collection journey.

I am the trash lady.

I own a business called Sunkist Sticks and Stones, and started a movement back in March to pick up 500 bags before Earth Day.

I refound nature.

Probably about seven years ago was big into nature when I was younger.

But upon rediscovering nature and its blessings, I'd be out picking up driftwood and rocks.

And I thought, you know, if I'm out taking from nature, the least I could do is give back a little.

And so I start with picking up a grocery bag or two.

Done it for a few years now.

March 23rd, I decided my birthday's day.

And so I was like, Let's do an Earth Day thing.

I thought 500 was not going to be realistic on Earth Day.

And when I surpassed it at 750 bags, I woke up April 23rd and I was like, What am I going to do?

I got to go get more trash, you know?

And so that's that's how it all began.

I try to go every single day.

If I have an hour free time, I'm at a lake or waterway somewhere picking up trash.

I clean them sometimes several times.

You know, like yesterday, I went back to a place that I went to a week ago.

23 bags.

So, you know, you got to fight the good fight.

Have the patience and perseverance.

But it's hard sometimes.

Triple Crown Golf Course and Nicklaus bill, they allowed me to use their dumpster.

I've got some amazing people that allow me to use their their facilities.

You meet people at at all these different waterways, and it makes a difference.

There are a lot of people out there like me.

I didn't know that before all this started.

And a lot of people that have a love for our lakes and our waterways and making Kentucky cleaner do what you can with what you have.

I use grocery bags.

They're free.

Everybody has an abundance of them.

Put one or two in your pocket when you go out on your hike, pick up, you know, just a few pieces.

If we all just picked up one bag.

Could you imagine the difference we could make?

If I can just inspire others to pick up one bag on their nature walks.

Our.

Our state would be clean in a year.

It really would.

I'm not going to go for the whole 2024 goal yet, but March 23rd will be the one year anniversary and we're at 11,335 now.

I want to hit 25,000.

So many people tell me I'm crazy and that it's not going to happen.

And I mean, it was the same way with 500 bags when I started.

So that just gives me more drive.

I think she can do it.

Last September, Governor Beshear gave Lewis the Beautify, the Bluegrass Award.

This year, she hopes to collect more than her goal of 25,000 bags.

And we are cheering her on.