CAMPTON, Ky. — You can get a new license that not only honors the natural beauty of the Bluegrass State but also supports a good cause.
Kentucky’s first license plate featuring the Red River Gorge is available for order at county clerk offices across the state.
A portion of all sales and renewals of the plate will go to the Wolfe County Search & Rescue Team (WCSART), an all-volunteer, not-for-profit organization sponsoring the plate.
The team specializes in rescues of lost or injured hikers in Wolfe County and the greater Red River Gorge. They also assist the Kentucky State Police and Kentucky National Guard with large-scale rescues.
“We are so excited to see the license plate go on sale because it promotes an area Kentuckians and many others love, and the proceeds will support our mission to save lives,” chief of WCSART John May said. “This has been a dream for years to pay for life-saving equipment and medical supplies.”
During historic flooding in Eastern Kentucky two years ago, WCSART volunteers rescued more than 100 people of all ages from disaster, according to the release.
In July, the organization also assisted in finding a hiker at Red River Gorge who had been missing for two weeks.
When he was found, rescuers described it as a miracle. The man had gone 12 days without food or water.
If you get the plate, you can help support further rescues like these.
The artwork for the Red River Gorge plate was produced by WCSART team member Kevin Osbourn. His painting for the plate, called “Red River Gorge: Archway to Heaven,” hung in the state Capitol rotunda during the 2024 Kentucky Derby Festival.
To buy or renew the plate is $44. Costs typically vary because the initial fee for specialty license plates depends on the buyer’s birth month when the plate would be renewed.
For each sale or renewal, $10 will go to WCSART, and the rest would go to the local county clerk office and the state.
“Until now, we have relied on grants and donations for funding,” May said. “Sales of the new plate will help us purchase needed equipment, including medical supplies, ropes, packs, helmets, radios, uniforms and other rescue gear.”
