City-wide Cleanup Nabs Hundreds of Pounds of Trash

Gulfport Grassroots’ first-ever city wide clean-up on Saturday, November 14 was, according to founder and organizer Wolfgang Deininger, “a resounding success,” featuring “record-breaking community involvement” of 64 volunteers at locations including the waterfront, Clymer Park and the Tangerine Greenway.

In partnership with Keep Pinellas Beautiful, which supplied gloves, trash pickers and water bottles, volunteers picked up 337 pounds of trash, including two used syringes disposed of in the hazardous waste container supplied by Keep Pinellas Beautiful.

In addition to volunteers on the ground, locals also fortified the effort with snacks from the South 49th Street Business Association, chicken and sausage biscuits from McDonald’s, and coffee drinks courtesy of GulfPerk Coffee Bar.

Deininger says that Gulfport GrassRoots is planning more larger scale cleanups in partnership with Keep Pinellas Beautiful next year, kicking off with The Great Clam Bayou Clean-up in March.

Gulfport Vice Mayor Michael Fridovich, left, with Phil Reed of S049 and Lyn Carr at the So49 snack table.

Wolfgang Deininger

Volunteers weigh in their trash hauls at Gulfport Beach.

Wolfgang Deininger