Keep Martin Beautiful Welcomes 3 Board Members and a Return to Community Clean-up Activities
Keep Martin Beautiful, the local non-profit with the mission of preserving and enhancing the quality of life in Martin County, has welcomed three new members to its Board of Directors: Thomas Bankert, Rachael Delekta, and Marilyn Gavitt.
Thomas Bankert is the Administrative Coordinator for the Martin County Solid Waste Authority. With more than twenty years of experience in his field, Bankert knows the amount of dedication and community involvement it takes to keep Martin County clean and litter-free.
Rachael Delekta is a model environmental volunteer, spending hours of her time each week in cleaning up litter around Martin County. It’s Rachael’s passion as a good citizen to keep Martin beautiful, and she has enlisted her friends and business acquaintances in raising community awareness about the importance of litter control.
Marilyn Gavitt, past Coordinator at the Environmental Studies Center and current volunteer there, worked for the Martin County School Board as a teacher for more than thirty years. She raised her children to understand the importance of environmental awareness and action and has won Stewardship Awards several times for her activities within the school district and the community.
“We are excited about the energy these new board members will bring to Keep Martin Beautiful,” said Craig Ahal, President of Keep Martin Beautiful.
A Successful Great American Cleanup
Bankert, Delekta and Gavitt join a very active organization. During the spring, hundreds of individuals, groups, families and organizations took part in Great American Cleanup activities supported by Keep Martin Beautiful, removing more than 1,000 pounds of litter from areas in Hobe Sound, Banner Lake and Indiantown, exotic vegetation from Rio Nature Park; cleanup and planting events throughout East Stuart; and ongoing Adopt-a-Road activities.
International Coastal Cleanup on September 18
Volunteers should save the date - Saturday, September 18 – to join the popular International Coastal Cleanup in Martin County. As the most recognized coastal cleanup event in the world, volunteers all gather around the globe on the same day to remove litter and marine debris from beaches and waterways, identify the sources of the litter, and try to change the behaviors that cause pollution. Keep Martin Beautiful is the local coordinator of the International Coastal Cleanup.
“These cleanup activities not only beautify our beaches and coastlines by removing unsightly debris, but our efforts also help protect birds and marine life by reducing the likelihood that these innocent creatures will become injured or entangled in plastics or ingest harmful or even deadly materials,” explained Tiffany Kincaid, Executive Director of Keep Martin Beautiful.
Environmental Stewardship Awards Nominations Coming Soon
Keep Martin Beautiful hosts the Environmental Stewardship Awards each spring to recognize and reward notable efforts within the community to promote environmental stewardship and innovation through education and action.
Nominations will be open this fall for individuals, businesses, civic and nonprofit groups, and government agencies that are improving our local environment and quality of life. Areas of focus include: community and neighborhood revitalization; litter and marine debris removal; recycling programs; river advocacy; innovation and stewardship; youth engagement and education.
Keep Martin Beautiful is seeking volunteers for its year-round cleanup activities and Adopt-A-Road program as well as sponsorships and other partners to advance its mission. For more information, contact Keep Martin Beautiful at 772-781-1222 or email info@keepmartinbeautiful.org.
About Keep Martin Beautiful
Keep Martin Beautiful (KMB) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community organization founded in 1994 as an affiliate of Keep America Beautiful. Its mission is to preserve and enhance the quality of life in Martin County through litter prevention, the promotion of recycling, improvement of solid waste management practices, and beautification and community revitalization activities. KMB signature events and programs include the Environmental Stewardship Awards, the International Coastal Cleanup, the Great American Cleanup, the Adopt-A-Road and Adopt-A-Street programs, and other educational and outreach activities. Find KMB on Facebook at facebook.com/KeepMartinBeautiful, follow KMB on Twitter at twitter.com/KMBmartin, visit KeepMartinBeautiful.org or call 772-781-1222.