One state’s trash is a Fort Mill girl’s opportunity. She didn’t throw it away.

One state’s trash became Renee LeBlanc’s treasure.

LeBlanc, 10, is the statewide winner of the PalmettoPride Litter Trashes Everyone art contest. The win earned her and Springfield Elementary School $1,000 each. Her art teacher, Roberta Martin, got $500. LeBlanc took home state legislative proclamations from both branches.

All from a sketch and a suggestion from dad, Vince. How about hands?

“I started building my idea from there,” Renee said. “It just kind of drew itself.”

PalmettoPride is a nonprofit started through a legislative effort to help clean up the state. It works to teach people, particularly students, why littering is wrong. Springfield had a regional winner during last year’s PalmettoPride art contest. This year it was the top prize.

“I was shocked,” said LeBlanc, a fourth-grader. “Some kids in the hallway heard and the news spread quickly throughout the school.”

LeBlanc spends plenty of time at home drawing, watching tutorials on art. PalmettoPride officials at Springfield on Friday said all the judges had her work among their top picks, and that many pulled it aside early as a favorite. State Rep. Raye Felder of Fort Mill saw the same thing.

“It was absolutely beautiful, and it reminds us all that it is up to us,” she said.

All from idea for hands, helping to prevent litter.

“She has a set of hands that hold the words, ‘Don’t litter,’” Martin said. “And for me that was really beautiful. She has a nice background that shows South Carolina. It’s a beachy background. But the hands that tell us not to litter, that it’s in our hands — don’t litter — I think was very meaningful and very well illustrated.”

This story was originally published May 19, 2017 at 9:54 PM with the headline "One state’s trash is a Fort Mill girl’s opportunity. She didn’t throw it away.."