Clean Up The Area’s Waterways

By Joyce Moed, Reporter

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.–Thirty-six designated cleanup sites across Broward County will be working together with one mission: to clean up the area’s waterways.

Conducted by the Marine Industries Association of South Florida (MIASF), the 32nd Annual Waterway Cleanup is scheduled for 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, March 7. The Cleanup is a part of MIASF’s initiative: “Our Waterways, Our Future … Our Responsibility,” a campaign created to promote public participation

This year, the event has a new tagline: “Where Green Meets Blue,” designed to reflect the ideals of environmental responsibility.

“We’ve been demonstrating environmental responsibility for over 30 years now, so this year with the help of our volunteers we’re letting everyone know that the Going Green movement can and does extend to our waterways as well,” said Gordon Connell, MIASF director of association services.

Waterway Cleanup generally draws business and community participation, said Ruth Myles, community volunteer and committee chair.

“Despite some early morning inclement weather, last year the event brought together over 2,000 community volunteers who were able to collect over 35 tons of trash and debris,” Myles said. “We have a large number of sites throughout Broward County, and local citizens are invited to clean up the waterways where they live. I think it’s a great opportunity for people to clean up the waterways where they live–they can see results in areas they live in, not in someone else’s area, but for themselves. It’s a great way for everyone in the county to get involved.”

Myles said the Cleanup is more organized than other volunteer efforts, since it is put together by MIASF.

“It’s not just run by a group of volunteers,” she said. “They put a lot of their resources into it.”
The MIASF is a nonprofit organization created in 1961 to promote and protect the growth of the marine industry in South Florida. The Association has more than 800 members throughout Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach Counties and is the owner of the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show.

Coral Springs City Commissioner Roy Gold has been running the largest site at Riverside Park.
“This will be my 14th year,” he said. “We think it’s a great opportunity to bring awareness to our waterways. At our site, we have extensive canals, including C-14. We have all types of people come, including kids who grown up and come back with their kids,

When Gold became commission about five years ago, people asked him if he would still be running a site for the annual Waterway Clean-up.

“Why wouldn’t I?” He said. “It offers a lot of benefits to the city and the people.”

Gold’s site is so popular that while it officially opens at 9 a.m., there is a line of people already waiting by 8:15 a.m. “I know it’s a success because people come 45 minutes early to volunteer,” he said. “They didn’t know they were going to enjoy it so much.

You work with your own site. You make your own magic.”

And Gold should know about magic. His first year 14 years ago, he had 94 volunteers. Last year he had more than 400.

“It’s really a family event,” Myles said. “Nobody has to sign up in advance. They can just show up.”
For more information about the 32nd Annual Waterway Cleanup, or the MIASF, call Melanie Daily, event coordinator at 954-524-2733 or Melanie@miasf.org, or visit www.waterwaycleanup.org.