Realtors® Show Pride in Their Communities by Cleaning Fla.’s Waterways

It’s never too early to hit the beach – especially if the goal is to help clean and beautify beaches and waterways across Florida. While July is the targeted month for Florida Realtors® Clean Up Florida’s Waters project, many Realtors and local organizations decided to get a head start during cooler temperatures.

The statewide push encourages Realtors and residents to join forces to pick up trash and clean the state’s lakes, rivers, streams, retention ponds, bays, Intracoastal Waterway, Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean during the event.

“Our beautiful beaches and outstanding waterways are one of the major reasons so many people love to live in – and visit – the Sunshine State,” said 2024 Florida Realtors® President Gia Arvin, broker-owner with Matchmaker Realty in Gainesville. “We encourage everyone who loves Florida’s waters to join Florida Realtors’ statewide effort to keep them clean and beautiful. We can all make a difference, at any time, to help preserve our waterways so that everyone can enjoy them now and for future generations.”

Local Realtors and Realtor associations are organizing the statewide water cleanup effort in their communities, and the project is backed by Florida Realtors. The program also encourages local groups to partner with existing environmental groups, such as the Coastal Conservation Association (CCA), local CCA chapters, state Waterkeepers organizations, Captains for Clean Water and Keep Florida Beautiful.

Florida Realtors is a Keep Florida Beautiful Gold Sun Level partner, which means that local Keep Florida Beautiful affiliate organizations may join forces with Realtor® groups to help with local waterway cleanup efforts.

Depending on local resources, a cleanup project can be large-scale or simple but every effort counts, says Jack Winnik, Realtor® at Keller Williams Marco Island. Jack has been heading up our waterway cleanups for the past several years. Saturday, July 13, he started his morning early around 6:00 AM to gather supplies donated by our local hardware store, Sunshine Ace Hardware on San Marco Road. He met up with 11 more volunteers and dispersed by boat out on the Marco waterways. They covered five square miles and collected 22 trash bags, approximately 55 pounds of debris. The most unusual find was a tire and some decking boards.

 For more information or to get involved, contact Marco Island Area Association of Realtors® or visit Florida Realtors’ Clean Up Florida Waters event page. https://www.floridarealtors.org/events/clean-up-florida-waters-about

Stellar MLS is the sponsor for Florida Realtors’ Clean Up Florida Waters.