MIASF celebrates annual waterway cleanup | Boating Industry
The Marine Industries Association of South Florida (MIASF) recently shared the results of the 47th Annual Broward County Waterway Cleanup. Organized by MIASF and presented by the Florida Inland Navigational District (F.I.N.D.), and Informa Markets, this annual cleanup tradition is Broward’s largest and longest-running environmental event and began in the 1970s with the mission of ensuring residents and visitors can continue to enjoy our local waterways.
On Saturday, March 2, more than 1,100 pre-registered volunteers gathered across 38 sites throughout Broward County to donate their time cleaning up our waterways, parks, and communities. Participants took part in the event by both land and sea, with more than 320 volunteers cleaning up our waterways by boat or personal watercraft. With numbers still being reported from our sites, we anticipate beating last year’s trash totals of 17 tons cleaned up across the county.
“Although our commitment to environmental stewardship is unwavering every day, there’s a special energy in uniting the community for a collective effort each year,” stated Lori Wheeler, Vice President of MIASF. “The success of this event is a testament to the dedication of our enthusiastic volunteers. Witnessing the community gather year after year for a cause greater than ourselves is truly inspiring.”
To thank volunteers for all their hard work, MIASF hosted its Trash Bash, the annual post-event celebration, at Bradford Marine. This party gathers volunteers from all ages to come together and celebrate all that was achieved together that day with food and drinks, live music, and raffles.
“It’s truly inspiring to witness volunteers of all ages actively engaging in the cleaning of our communities and surrounding bodies of water,” Noah Dermody, Director of membership and events at MIASF, stated. “It’s crucial to raise awareness about the environmental impact we can make, with our younger generations leading the charge towards a greener future.”
In addition to the Waterway Cleanup, MIASF hosts recycled-art, short story, and essay contests that awards more than $1,725 in scholarship money to Broward County middle school and high school students.
This year’s scholarship recipients include:
- Poster Contest: Lillian Zheng
- Short-Story Contest: Edan Pierre
- Essay Contest: Amya Wallace
- Recycled-Art Contest: Philipe Rodriguez
- Recycled-Art Contest: Ryan Hooke
- Recycled-Art Contest: Frank Adan
Source: https://boatingindustry.com/top-news/2024/03/05/miasf-celebrates-annual-waterway-cleanup/
