What an amazing 10th Annual Reef & Beach cleanup!
Thank you to all the volunteers who picked up trash AND all the people who made the event at the park so amazing a well!
The TCI ladies bake sale was a huge hit. Not only did they raise some good funds for their own needs, but the sold out of nearly everything! Madam Joe coffee was also a nice add on this year! We hope they will all be back again next year!
It was HOT to say the least! Our Crew of over 40 landside volunteers unloaded boats, trucks and trailers all day! Weighing over 23,260 lbs of trash! And having fun doing it! I received over 400 pictures and EVERYONE is smiling, laughing and having fun! Feels good to do good!
Having the divers back this year was a bonus. Trash totals include 53 anchors and 660 lbs of nets rope and tackle removed from the depths. 6,500 lbs of lumber removed from the mangroves and coastal waters. Volunteers also collected 22 tires totaling over 2,300 lbs and 56 shoes made up the traditional Shoe Tree. We had over 600 lbs of recycling of plastic bottles and aluminum cans.
The most fantastic find of the day was an 424 lb REALLY OLD anchor removed from @120 ft of water. A REAL piece of maritime history.
We had over 250 volunteers in total, 20+ Scuba Divers participate. We also had teenagers from 3 different school groups and Boy Scouts troop #41! Each and every person made a positive difference and contributed to a fantastic annual community event! We hope each of you will return next year, and at other future Suncoast Aqua Ventures events.
Thank you all for helping to keep our Land and Sea free from debris!
