Pirates have been seen around Madeira beach, but they aren’t plundering treasure. Rather, they preserve what’s already treasure, our beloved beaches and marine life. The Trash Pirates of Mad Beach, they are called, a coalition of volunteers begun by Kandi Maiden and Audrey Cevaer, who together clear hundreds of pounds of trash and debris during monthly clean-up sessions that take place on the first Saturday of every month.
The Pirates have this to say about the inception of their community project: “After witnessing the birth of a baby manatee from their docks, a morning rain shower brought an abundance of cigarette butts and trash through the storm drains. The new friends frantically began scooping the debris from the water to protect the mama Manatee and newborn calf. At that moment they decided something needed to be done.”
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“They started picking up litter on the streets & storm grates around their neighborhood each morning. Deb Laramee from the city public works department, Jeri Davis of Saltwater Hippie and other neighbors noticed their efforts and encouraged them to do a monthly community cleanup.”
Local businesses and the city support the Pirates
After each monthly clean-up, Saltwater Hippie, a beloved beach bar staple, hosts a prize drawing. Winners of the drawing are all volunteers that dedicate their time helping the Trash Pirates of Mad Beach. Prizes include buckets and pickers for trash pick-up, and the buckets are filled with shirts, gift cards and other goodies.
Community clean up isn’t just about keeping our coastlines clean. While the community must remain abreast of debris there, often the source of junk is elsewhere. “We like everyone to go out into streets, parking lots, bushes, mangroves,” says Jeri. “Whatever you can pick up, we love that.”
Join the Pirates of Mad Beach, a “culture of clean”
Since this project began in 2019, Trash Pirates of Mad Beach have done 60+ clean-ups, and Kandi and Audrey have been recognized as Citizens of the Year, by the city of Madeira Beach, and were additionally honored with a community service award in 2022 by Keep Pinellas Beautiful and Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.
Citizens that want to participate in community clean-up may join the Pirates of Mad Beach the first Saturday of every month at either John’s Pass Bell Tower (12800 Village Blvd Madeira Beach) or Archibald Park (5100 Gulf Blvd, Madeira Beach, FL), from 8am–10am. Kandi and Audrey want to remind you that “every day is clean-up day”, and that the Trash Pirates of Mad Beach aren’t just about cleaning but bringing a “culture of clean.”
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