Spring Coastal Cleanup comes to Beach
If you missed the Pre-Earth Day Coastal Clean-up focusing near the County park area south of Fort Myers Beach last Saturday, this Saturday is another chance to rid Estero Island of marine debris and beach litter.
The Pilot Club of Fort Myers Beach in cooperation with Keep Lee County Beautiful will host the 21st annual “Earth Day Trash Bash” from 9 a.m. to noon. Meet at Beach Elementary School and join in the beautification fight to clean the beach front. It is part of a countywide litter cleanup campaign.
“This is a day when all Lee County residents and visitors are invited to make a difference in their environment by cleaning up their own neighborhoods and communities,” said FMB Pilot Club member Cheryl Hohmann. “The Beach Cleanup was the first service project of the Fort Myers Beach Pilot Club. It is the forerunner of the Florida Coastal Cleanup which the club continues to coordinate in cooperation with Keep Lee County Beautiful. Since then, many organizations have conducted different state coastal cleanups.”
Volunteers should start reporting at 9 a.m. to pick up their gloves, plastic garbage bags, and assignment areas. The Beach Pilots, who chartered in 1985, set up and organize the event at the Beach school. At the end of the event pizza and soft drinks will be available to volunteers. Pietro’s Pizzeria will provide discounted pizza, while soft drinks will be available courtesy of Pepsi South and water will be provided by Wal-Mart. Glad ForceFlex trash bags will also be provided. Waste Pro, Veolia Environmental Services, Inc., and Waste Management are providing disposal. Topps Supermarket will provide the ice.
The FMB Pilot Club will also reward participating Beach Elementary students with an ice cream party at the school on the following Monday, April 26.
“This has been our own way of thanking our local volunteer children,” said Hohmann. “Having the children come out to volunteer for the event has always been an important factor. When the children come out, it helps make them aware of how important it is to help our environment.”
The local cleanup is part of the nationwide “Great American Cleanup” effort sponsored by Keep America Beautiful. KLCB is a private non-profit organization dedicated to litter prevention and responsible solid waste disposal practices. Last year’s Trash Bash volunteers removed 64,377 pounds of trash and debris from Lee County’s roadsides, shorelines and parks.
— FMB Pilot Club member Cheryl Hohmann contributed to this report.