Page 4 - Palm City Spotlight - December '22

Page 4, Palm City Spotlight

Community Happenings

Keep Martin Beautiful

Volunteers Remove More
Than 40,000 Pieces Of Litter

And Marine Debris As Part Of
International Coastal Cleanup

Keep Martin Beautiful’s International Coastal Cleanup
inspired more than 1,000 Martin County residents to
take action to help improve the quality of our beaches
and waterways. Volunteers from a cross section of the
community joined forces on a rainy Saturday morning on
Sept. 17 and removed more than 40,000 pieces of litter
and marine debris from local rivers, beaches, parks and
waterways throughout Martin County. From left: Marilyn Gavitt, Mark Gavitt, Farah Daye, Kathy
“Thanks to the data collection app our volunteers have been The LaBar Family participates in the International Coastal Kernan, Kris Kerr and Jack Daye (kneeling) take to the
using over the past few years, we are able to gather meaningful Cleanup efforts at Stuart Beach. spoil islands as part of the International Coastal Cleanup
data each year about what our volunteers are picking up,” said in Martin County.
Craig Ahal, Keep Martin Beautiful president. “As always, the Club; Surfing Evolution & Preservation Foundation;
biggest litter culprit is cigarette butts.” Three Lakes; Trash Free Seas; van Vonno Consulting;
More than 8,500 cigarette butts were found strewn VidaCann; and 4ocean.
about Martin County’s beaches and parks, representing About Keep Martin Beautiful
about 21 percent of all the trash collected by item. Keep Martin Beautiful (KMB) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit
A typical cigarette butt can take up to 10 years to community organization founded in 1994 as an affiliate
decompose. Other large contributors to litter and marine of Keep America Beautiful. Its mission is to preserve and
debris in Martin County included nearly 2,500 plastic enhance the quality of life in Martin County through litter
bottle caps, more than 500 plastic bottles, and nearly 700 prevention, the promotion of recycling, improvement of
plastic bags. solid waste management practices, and beautification and
This year, the most unusual items found included fake community revitalization activities. KMB signature events
plants, a mascara tube, clothing, and an umbrella. and programs include the Environmental Stewardship
“Some of our volunteer groups have been participating Awards, the International Coastal Cleanup, the Great
in our annual Coastal Cleanup for more than a decade,” American Cleanup, the Adopt-A-Road and Adopt-A-Street
said Tiffany Kincaid, executive director of Keep Martin programs, and other educational and outreach activities.
Beautiful. “The troop leaders, school groups and families Find KMB on Facebook at facebook.com/
that take younger kids out to be part of the cleanup are KeepMartinBeautiful, follow KMB on Instagram These volunteers from the Roberts family prove that even
such a critical part of instilling environmental stewardship at instagram.com/keepmartinbeautiful, visit the tiniest of hands can make a difference in our community
values on the next generation.” KeepMartinBeautiful.org or call (772) 781-1222. beach cleanup efforts.
Keep Martin Beautiful has been the local coordinator for
International Coastal Cleanup for 27 years. It’s part of a global
initiative coordinated by the Ocean Conservancy involving 17 Hundreds Of Volunteers from page 1
million people in over 100 nations around the world.
Keep Martin Beautiful appreciates the many sponsors Health, iTHINK
who supported the 2022 International Coastal Cleanup, Financial, and
including: Ashley Capital; the City of Stuart; Coastal TD Bank.
Waste & Recycling; ColorLength; Cook Electric, Inc.; Pack the House
Ecological Associates, Inc.; Florida Inland Navigational is one of several
District; The Firefly Group; Hutchinson Shores Resort & activities Treasure
Spa; Jenkins Landscape; Live with Grace; Martin County Coast Food Bank
Board of County Commissioners; The MilCor Group; holds to ensure
the Pulte Group; Rocky’s Ace Hardware Stuart; Sailfish that everyone
Point; Shearwater Marine; Stuart Corinthian Yacht c a n sha re i n
a traditional
holiday meal this Heather Grace, Heather Gunnell, Julia Hogan and
year as inflation Cheryl Jones from Walmart Neighborhood Store No. 7299
continues to Jacar Abrams and Jaye Bayles of
Captain’s was established in 1980 servicing stress household Cleveland Clinic are tickets to Disney World, the Orlando Science Center,
Palm Beach County and is a privately budgets. There Tampa Zoo and Dinosaur World. There also is a certified
owned and managed company. also is an upcoming holiday auction, turkey drive, and A.E. Backus print, and other original art pieces and several
Captain’s is committed to providing many volunteering opportunities. pieces of fine jewelry.
dependable, reliable and professional The Holiday Online Auction is presented by Florida
ground transportation to and from all “The holiday season is especially difficult for people
South Florida Airports and Seaports. PBCVH212 who struggle to make ends meet, and this year with the Power & Light and takes place Dec. 2 to 12. Treasure
To reserve your vehicle: high cost of food and other necessities, we have many Coast Food Bank is seeking additional auction items.
561-798-2180 or 800-634-7890 www.captainsairport.com more people struggling and seeking help,” said Judith Contact Alexandra Lord at alord@tcfoodbank.org or (772)
Cruz, president and CEO of Treasure Coast Food Bank. 446-1765 for more information.
“This holiday season, one in four people don’t always There are numerous volunteer opportunities throughout
Southern Exposure Technologies know where their next meal will come from, and we’re the season. To find out about all the ways to help or to
Computer Install/Setup/Repair asking everyone to give thanks by giving to neighbors in sign up to volunteer, visit stophunger.org.
need through a donation or by volunteering.”
About Treasure Coast Food Bank
(561) 315-0144 Help people in need by making a cash donation. A Treasure Coast Food Bank is the only food bank and
getsetgo.annie@gmail.com $50 donation provides a full holiday meal for a family of largest hunger relief organization on Florida’s Treasure
* DSL, Broadband,Wireless Install four. Visit stophunger.org/thanksgivingmeals to donate. Coast, providing the community each year with millions
* Networking, Troubleshooting Treasure Coast Food Bank also will be collecting frozen of meals valued at more than $50 million through
* Instruction turkeys to include in holiday meals. Anyone wanting to robust programs and in partnership with 300 charitable
* Hardware/Software Installation donate a frozen turkey can drop it off at Treasure Coast organizations in Indian River, St. Lucie, Martin, and
* Virus/Spyware/Adware Fix Okeechobee counties. In addition to emergency food
* Cleanup/Maintenance/Backup Food Bank’s headquarters at 401 Angle Road in Fort
* Business Consult/Startup/Move Pierce, anytime between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday distribution, Treasure Coast Food Bank operates a full
* Website Design/Maintenance through Friday. roster of direct service programs that not only solve
Call S.E.T. to install your “new computer, printer “We strive to ensure that everybody on the Treasure the immediate problem of hunger, but help individuals
and wireless network”! Coast has the opportunity to share a holiday meal, and families gain long-term food security, better health
GET S.E.T. GO! regardless of what they’re facing in their lives,” Cruz said. outcomes, and self-sufficiency. Treasure Coast Food Bank
REASONABLE HOURLY, WEEKLY, MONTHLY RATES “In the weeks before Thanksgiving, we’ll provide holiday is a member of Feeding America, the nationwide network
FOR SMALL BUSINESSES FOR AS LOW AS $50.00 AN HOUR, food boxes to our 300 partner agencies to distribute to of 200 food banks that leads the fight against hunger in the
WITH A MINIMUM OF 6 HOURS A MONTH, United States. For more information on Treasure Coast
OR 2 HOURS A WEEK, OR ON AN AS-NEEDED people in need. We’ll also use our Mobile Distributions
BASIS RATE OF $75.00 P/HOUR. to provide families with holiday food boxes so they can Food Bank, call (772) 489-3034, log on to stophunger.
START YOUR NEW YEAR WITH SECURE BACKUPS, prepare their own traditional holiday meals.” org, visit our Facebook page at facebook.com/tcfoodbank,
QUALITY MAINTENANCE, ATTENTION TO DETAIL AND Another way to help is by participating in the annual or follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/tcfoodbank.
PERSONABLE ON-SITE SUPPORT!
(561) 315-0144 Holiday Online Auction. Shop for holiday gifts while
CALL S.E.T. TODAY FOR YOUR COMPUTER NEEDS! supporting people in need on the Treasure Coast. There Photos by Mary Ann Ketcham