TAMPA, Fla — Gasparilla 2026 is officially in the rearview mirror, but looking up and down Bayshore Boulevard, you can still see the signs of a very fun party.
Now, the trash has to be cleaned up, and that's where groups like Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful are stepping in to help.
Sara Rusheidat has volunteered for the last two years with Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful to help make sure Gasparilla fun doesn't leave a lasting stain in the Bayshore area.
"It just makes sense to just come here and just start picking up trash because I know my friends have been out here, and I know this place is trashed, and I don't like seeing that," Rusheidat said.
The cold weather was definitely felt by everyone, but organizers say they never thought twice about canceling the cleanup effort.
"This is one of our major cleanups. So I think canceling it wouldn't just be devastating to the volunteers, but it would be devastating to the community," said Kristina Moreta, the executive director of Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful.
Moreta emphasized the environmental importance of the cleanup effort.
"If you think about how much trash we picked up last year and how much trash we're gonna pick up this year, I mean that's all gonna end up in the bay in our storm drains that are eventually gonna end up in the bay, so I mean it's gonna be not just an impact for us, it'll be an impact for everybody," Moreta said.
If you want to get involved, head to Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful's website
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