Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful is holding its 26th Annual Hillsborough River & Coastal Cleanup Saturday, as are other organizations across the Tampa Bay area, including Sarasota and St. Petersburg. All of this is in conjunction with the International Coastal Cleanup. The Hillsborough event begins at 9 a.m. at sites along the Hillsborough and Alafia rivers, Tampa Bay, and other waterways. Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful Executive Director Debra Evenson spoke about the experience.
"We have 70 sites throughout Hillsborough County," she said. "And we do improvements, whether it's invasive removal, picking up litter, removing trash, and tires, along the shorelines."
Afterward, the Rollin' on the River Rally at Lowry Park will feature the Recycle Regatta, where participants will construct a watercraft made out of recycled materials.
"We have corporate and youth that participate in this," Evenson said. "And it's a fun time. They create a floating device, a two-man floating device, made out of at least 70 percent recycled materials. And we have a little race along the riverbanks. It's not far, but it's just enough to have a lot of fun."
Evenson adds that those who were not able to pre-register for the cleanup can still get involved at the Courtney Campbell Causeway and Lowry Park.
