On the 40th Anniversary of the Broward County Waterway Cleanup, volunteers at 37 sites throughout the County spent four hours on Saturday, March 4th cleaning local inland waterways from Dania Beach to Deerfield Beach. By the afternoon, nearly 2,000 volunteers, ranging 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,” said Phil Purcell, CEO/President of the Marine Industries Association of South Florida, which organizes the annual event. “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,” he added.
Afterwards, the volunteer thank you party known as the Trash Bash was held at the Lauderdale Marine Center, where winners of the middle school and high school art and essay contests were announced and were awarded scholarships for their entries.
Next year’s date is set for March 3, 2018, and sponsorship and registration information can be found at www.waterwaycleanup.org.
