San Mateo's 31st Anniversary Bayfront Cleanup Saturday

The City of San Mateo’s Department of Public Works holds its 31st Anniversary of the Bayfront Cleanup – the largest California Coastal Cleanup in all of San Mateo County – on Saturday, September 19, from 7:30am-Noon at Ryder Park, 1801 J. Hart Clinton Drive, San Mateo. It is expected to draw more than 1,000 environmentally-conscience volunteers.

In 2014, more than 900 volunteers collected 5 tons of litter and 1,000 pounds of recycling. The highlight of the event is “Catch of the Day” – an opportunity for volunteers to showcase what they’ve found in our six categories: Heaviest, Funniest, Best Team Effort, Reusable, Most Valuable, and Most Unusual. New for 2015 will be a cigarette butt collecting contest. Cigarette butts are the single most littered item on the planet. In past years, volunteers have found a toilet, a canoe, a robot, and a cash register.

“The Bayfront Cleanup brings out the volunteer spirit of San Mateo,” states Brad Underwood, Public Works Director. “We appreciate everyone who comes out and donates their time and energy to keep San Mateo beautiful, improve our waterways and help save the environment.”

Early arrival is encouraged and volunteers will be treated to donuts and juices before they head out along the shoreline to clean up. The event culminates with a zero-waste “volunteer thank you” BBQ sponsored by the City of San Mateo’s Public Works Department at 11:30am coupled with DJ music.

Generous in-kind sponsors and partners include: San Mateo County Environmental Health, California Coastal Commission, Recology San Mateo County, and Peninsula Ice. Other departments, cities and companies donate their time to make this event possible; they include the City of San Mateo’s Park and Recreation Rangers, the Police Department’s Cadet Team, St. Timothy’s Church, Aquatic Environments, Inc., Marina Lagoon Action Committee, City of Foster City, Oracle, Rubio’s, and Orchard Hardware Supply. We thank all of our local schools for bringing out their students and families, and the City’s Police Activities League for their annual participation.

From streets to sewers, from levees to lagoons, from traffic signals to street lights, the team at the Department of Public Works maintains, repairs, and cleans those elements of the public system that are critical to the health of our community. Leading the coordination effort on garbage and recycling collection in San Mateo, Public Works feels the Bayfront Cleanup is a prime opportunity to frame litter as a threat to our City’s quality of life.

Residents can learn more about the event at www.cityofsanmateo.org/bayfrontcleanup.

--San Mateo City news release. Photo via Shutterstock