Volunteers at 37 sites in Broward County, Florida, spent four hours on March 4 cleaning local inland waterways from Dania Beach to Deerfield Beach on the 40th anniversary of the Broward County Waterway Cleanup.
By the afternoon, organizers said, nearly 2,000 volunteers who ranged in age from 7 to 91 had amassed slightly more than 40 tons of trash, including shopping carts, furniture, a submerged canoe, tires, and even a discarded ankle monitor.
“This year’s response was extraordinary,” Marine Industries Association of South Florida president and CEO Phil Purcell said in a statement. “We had so much cooperation from the Florida Inland Navigation District, several cities and mayors, Broward County, local businesses and engaged citizens who were willing to step up and pitch in.”
Afterward the volunteer thank-you party known as the Trash Bash was held at the Lauderdale Marine Center. Winners of middle school and high school art and essay contests were announced and were awarded scholarships for their entries.
Next year’s cleanup is scheduled for March 3.
