Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille employees take part in beach cleanup

Employees from Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille on Fort Myers Beach spent Halloween morning picking up trash from the beach as part of Keep Lee County Beautiful’s annual Monofilament Madness Marine Cleanup, focusing on removing discarded fishing line from local waterways, mangroves and shorelines.

The group filled up four bags of debris.

The morning event netted more than 5,000 pounds of trash from around Lee County, and attracted 100 volunteers.

“Fort Myers Beach is more than where we work. It’s a community we care deeply about,” said Rebecca Vizcarra, general manager of Doc Ford’s. “Our team takes pride in doing its part to protect the beaches and waterways that make this area so special for residents and visitors alike.”

Conservation and environmental initiatives are at the philanthropic core of Doc Ford’s and HM Restaurant Group, which manages the restaurant. The company supports homegrown nonprofit organizations throughout Southwest Florida, including donating $1 from specialty cocktail sales at Doc Ford’s and Dixie Fish Company to Captains For Clean Water’s mission of improving the health of the Florida Everglades and Florida Bay. The program has raised $11,072 since its inception in April 2024.

The “Ding” Darling HM Restaurant Group Tarpon Tournament, founded in 2012, has donated over $2 million for conservation and water-quality research at Sanibel’s J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge. The 15th annual tournament is in May 2027.

HM Restaurant Group is also dedicated to the revitalization of Fisherman’s Wharf, the Fort Myers Beach stretch of waterfront anchored by Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille, Dixie Fish Company and Bonita Fish Company. HM Restaurant Group is transforming the venue into a destination where locals and visitors enjoy fresh seafood, live music, sunsets and relaxed coastal dining overlooking Matanzas Pass.