500 Volunteers Remove 1,450 Pounds of Beach Trash in Florida

Five hundred people spent their weekend making Fort Myers Beach cleaner, safer, and more beautiful for everyone who visits.

Keep Lee County Beautiful joined forces with Tunaskin Aquatic Apparel to host their 11th annual Beach Keepers Club cleanup this past weekend. The volunteer turnout keeps growing every year, showing that people are ready to roll up their sleeves for the environment.

Together, the crew collected 1,450 pounds of trash and debris from the sand. That's nearly three quarters of a ton of waste that won't end up in the ocean or harm sea turtles, shorebirds, and other wildlife that call the beach home.

The annual event has become a Fort Myers Beach tradition, bringing together families, local business teams, and dedicated environmentalists. Volunteers from Doc Ford's Rum Bar & Grille were among those who showed up ready to work.

The Ripple Effect

This single beach cleanup represents just a fraction of Keep Lee County Beautiful's year-round work. The organization mobilizes more than 3,000 volunteers annually across over 200 community improvement projects throughout Lee County.

"Our partnership with Tunaskin unites the community around a shared purpose," said Trish Fancher, Executive Director of Keep Lee County Beautiful. "By working together, we're creating immediate impact and demonstrating the power of individual action."

The cleanup does more than remove existing trash. It builds awareness about reducing waste in the first place and inspires environmental stewardship that extends far beyond one weekend event.

When volunteers see the direct results of their efforts, they're more likely to think twice before littering and to encourage others to do the same. Kids who participate often become passionate advocates for protecting natural spaces.

Five hundred people proved that protecting our beaches doesn't require complicated solutions, just community members willing to show up and make a difference together.