On Saturday, July 8, members of Northeast Florida Association of Realtors (NEFAR) and their families will take to the shores of the St. Johns River to participate in a statewide waterway clean-up project sponsored by Florida Realtors.
The clean-up has been organized by NEFAR’s Community Affairs Task Force, and members of the public are invited to join in.
“Clean and safe waterways have been a NEFAR priority for many years,” said 2023 NEFAR President Diana Galavis. “This year, we are expecting a large turnout of community residents and business owners to join our Realtors as they endeavor to keep our waterways clean and safe. NEFAR is proud to share what started as a grassroots effort and has grown into an annual event with many volunteers and several host site locations.”
“The goal is to collect 10 tons of trash,” said NEFAR clean-up organizer Mark Feagle.
The massive clean-up project will take place at eight local boat ramps and the riverwalk in downtown Jacksonville, spanning the distance from Mayport to Palatka.
Boat convoys
Three pontoon boats, hosted by NEFAR’s event sponsors, realMLS, Golden Dog Title & Trust and Watson Realty Corp., will leave from Jax Boat Rentals, 8920 San Jose Blvd., Jacksonville, at 9 am. They will head northwest to clean up hard-to-reach places near the Riverside Arts Market.
Meanwhile, a convoy of individual boaters will gather at the same time at Arlington’s Lions Club Boat Ramp, 4322 Richard Denby Gatlin Road, Jacksonville.
Their mission is to use their watercraft to clean up portions of the river’s shoreline that are inaccessible by land, particularly in the area near JAXPort, near the Dames Point Bridge and under the Mathews Bridge.
A barge supplied by Current Problems, a nonprofit based in Gainesville that seeks to restore and protect the wetlands and waterways of Florida, will be available to assist in the trash disposal. Boaters are, of course, responsible for caring for their own vessels and following all U.S. Coast Guard regulations.
Each clean-up and boat convoy site will be marked by a NEFAR flag. Snacks and water, rubber gloves and grabbers will be available to all participants. Each participant will also receive a special T-shirt commemorating the event and two free drink tickets to use at the afterparty at the NEFAR Resource Center, 7801 Deercreek Club Road, Jacksonville.
The afterparty will begin at 1 p.m. and end at 4 p.m. at the NEFAR Resource Center. Participants will be treated to food, alcohol and soft drinks, and several raffles.
Clean-up sites
The clean-up sites will be organized by members of NEFAR’s Area Councils. Included among the locations will be:
Putnam Council clean-up and afterparty
Realtors in Putnam County will join forces with the Palatka High School fishing team as well as members of the public who are interested in cleaning up waterways near their homes and businesses. Those interested should meet at Crystal Cove Marina at 8 a.m. The clean-up event will take place between 8 and 11 a.m. with an afterparty scheduled afterward at the Lighthouse Grill and Captains Cove Bar at the marina.
If you are interested in helping, contact Becky Williams at 352-213-4200. Those interested in cleaning up the area near their own docks or homes can bring the bags of trash to Crystal Cove by noon so they may be included in the weigh in.
All participants will receive a T-shirt and two free drink tickets. Appetizers will be served at the party.
Afterparty
An afterparty will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. at the NEFAR Resource Center, 7801 Deercreek Club Road, Jacksonville. All participants are invited to join the fun. Volunteers will enjoy food, drinks, games and raffles with their clean-up colleagues. Two free drink tickets will be given to all volunteers who participate in the event.
The title sponsor for the NEFAR event is realMLS, a wholly owned subsidiary of NEFAR. Other major sponsors include Watson Realty, Golden Dog Title and Trust and St. Johns Bass Anglers, on behalf of Glenn East. J Dog Junk Removal is collecting the trash from all the clean-up sites. Jax Boat Rentals is donating the use of pontoon boats and Building Wealth Real Estate LLC. In addition, each clean-up site will also be sponsored.
Extra money raised from the event will go to NEFAR’s Charitable Foundation and be earmarked for NEFAR's Oyster Bar, University of North Florida restoration project done in conjunction with the Coastal Conservation Association.
NEFAR’s Clean-up Florida Waters event is part of a statewide effort promoted by Florida Realtors, the Sunshine State’s largest real estate association. Florida Realtors is encouraging the thousands of Realtors within its membership to make time to dispose of trash littering the shorelines of lakes, beaches, creeks, rivers and streams that are close to their homes or offices during the month of July.
Members in the community are also encouraged to grab a trash bag and head toward their favorite body of water.
