Keep Manatee Beautiful calls on volunteers to help reach 100,000 pounds collected in 2023

MANATEE COUNTY, FL (June 22, 2023) – Keep Manatee Beautiful is calling on Manatee County residents to make a record-breaking year one for the ages.

Keep Manatee Beautiful volunteers are pushing hard to collect 100,000 pounds of trash for the year.

KMB’s local volunteer teams have beautified local parks, neighborhoods and coastal areas by collecting 88,000 pounds of trash and debris since October, 2022 alone. A strong push this summer – collecting another 12,000 pounds – will bring KMB’s total to 100,000 pounds collected over the fiscal year, shattering local records and reaching a significant benchmark for KMB’s future.

“We are absolutely thrilled and humbled by the community’s support this year,” says KMB Executive Director Jennifer Hoffman. “We can definitely reach 100,000 pounds of trash collected this summer if there's enough interest around Manatee County to make it happen. Participating is easy and it will create great momentum going into 2024.”

Anyone can help KMB reach 100,000 pounds collected. Here are the ways people can help:

• Visit KMB’s website, www.manateebeautiful.com and fill out the form that pops up when the homepage loads. Then, simply keep track of individual cleanup efforts each month, and tally the total in the form. Submit separate totals for the remainder of June, plus July, August and September.
  

• Attend one of KMB’s First Saturday cleanups in July, August or September. The July event planned for Sat. July 1 at Palmetto’s Sutton Park at 9 a.m. Each of those events typically nets between 500 and 1,000 pounds. Additional volunteers will mean more debris added to each monthly total!
  

• Follow KMB on Facebook, Instagram and on Twitter @ManateeBeautiFL and watch for additional cleanup opportunities this summer. Collection totals will be posted regularly with additional details on cleanup events this summer.

Later this summer KMB plans to announce another major cleanup event in September. If volunteers help KMB reach 100,000 pounds collected this summer, everyone who contributes 20 pounds or more during the summer will be registered for a drawing for a $100 gift card.

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To learn more or set up an interview about the push to 100,000 pounds, please contact Jennifer Hoffman, Executive Director, Keep Manatee Beautiful at keep@manateebeautiful.com, (941) 757-7294