TAMPA, Fla. — After every good party, there's clean-up to do after!
More than 400 volunteers were out early Sunday morning to pick up litter, debris and beads left over from the annual Gasparilla Pirate Festival.
Leaders with Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful set up at four different sites in South Tampa where volunteers could check in and get to work.
"The litter that is produced from this parade is so intense that these volunteers really do an amazing job to help alleviate the pressure," said Kristina Moreta, with Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful.
Volunteers at the "After Gasparilla Cleanup" spend about three hours along the parade route on Bayshore Boulevard and the surrounding streets making sure the litter gets sorted and properly discarded.
"All of these volunteers are super excited, they come with a great attitude and they want to come and show you their treasures when they come back," explained Moreta, who calls this her favorite cleanup of the year.
The city of Tampa also contributes to the effort through the #BeadFreeBay campaign, which raises awareness about the harmful effects of beads and plastics in Tampa Bay and area waterways.
"If they end up in the water along with the sun and with the salt, they start to break down to smaller microplastics and fish birds, and other sea mammals can ingest them and get sick," said Edgar Castro Tello, a recycling specialist with the City of Tampa.
The city partners with the MacDonald Training Center, a local non-profit working to empower people with disabilities for the Bead Reuse Program.
Once beads are sorted, they're taken to the center where they are cleaned, repackaged, and reused for the next parade season. The experience provides valuable vocational skills for the clients at the MacDonald Training Center.
From now through May of 2023, pirates and revelers are encouraged to take their unwanted beads to the following collection sites:
- Kate Jackson Community Center – 821 S Rome Ave.
- Loretta Ingraham Recreation Complex – 1611 N Hubert Ave.
- Copeland Park Center – 11001 N 15th St.
- MacDonald Training Center – 5420 W Cypress St
Click here for the sites' hours of operation and learn more about the Bead Reuse Collection Program.