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Anti-Litter Campaign Looks For Clean Sweep

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By D'ANN LAWRENCE WHITE

dlwhite@tampatrib.com

Published: April 8, 2009

BRANDON - Volunteers never know what they might discover along their local roadways or hidden beneath a trash heap in their neighborhood park.

In the 19 years that Keep Hillsborough County Beautiful has been coordinating community cleanups, volunteers have reported finding a live hamster in a box, a pair of fuzzy dice, a pool table, a piano, a goat skull and crabs trapped inside discarded bottles.

Last September's annual Coastal Cleanup yielded a sad discovery in Brandon, said Christine Commerce, executive director of Keep Hillsborough County Beautiful. A bird was found entangled in a rope someone had carelessly discarded at Heather Lakes Park. Fortunately, it was rescued and lived. Other critters haven't been so lucky, she said.

It was a group of residents fed up with garbage along their community roadways, dumping on empty lots and debris floating on their ponds who urged creation of the nonprofit organization in 1992.

The group is now seeking people willing to join about 2,000 volunteers for the Great American Cleanup on April 18 from 9 a.m. to noon. The cleanup is being organized as part of an annual nationwide anti-litter and beautification campaign running from March through May - with more than 2 million volunteers in 12,000 communities across the country.

Commerce is in the process of recruiting site captains, volunteers, sponsors and locations for the event, which will include litter removal along roads, in parks and on waterways, recycling activities, repainting projects and plantings.

Individuals and groups interested in taking part are asked to preregister with Keep Hillsborough County Beautiful by calling (813) 960-5121. Volunteers will receive T-shirts and other giveaways. Trash bags will be provided. Volunteers must provide their own work gloves, close-toed shoes and drinking water.

Last year, more than 2,300 volunteers picked up 67,509 pounds of discarded bottles, soda cans, paper, cigarette butts and other kinds of litter in Hillsborough County, Commerce said.

"We hope to have a greater turnout this year to make an even bigger impact," she said. "This is a great way to take pride in your community and clean it up at the same time."

Local sites include FishHawk Creek Elementary School, 16815 Dorman Road, Lithia; Evans Park, 1004 N. Kingsway Road, Seffner; and Heather Lakes Park, 1850 Winding Wood Ave., Brandon.

Thanks to the Great American Cleanup, regular neighborhood cleanups, the annual Coastal Cleanup and periodic trash removal coordinated by Keep Hillsborough County Beautiful programs, last year a total of 8,235 volunteers cleaned 614 miles of roads and 442 acres of parks and open areas. In addition, they planted 235 trees and 599 other plantings.

DO YOUR PART

Individuals and groups interested in helping with the Great American Cleanup from 9 a.m. to noon on April 18, need to preregister with Keep Hillsborough County Beautiful by calling (813) 960-5121.

Reporter D'Ann Lawrence White can be reached at (813) 657-4524.

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