HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — Rose Alexander and Kody Calitri think they’ve found a slice of paradise on Apollo Beach.
“We all moved here, found a little hidden gem,” Alexander said. “We live here. We work here. We’re raising our families and kids here.”
“You’ve got everything at your fingertips. You’re not far from the beach. You’ve got the water,” added fellow resident Calitri, touting the area. “It’s just a good life.”
It’s a life they would like to preserve. That is why they are part of the South Shore Legacy Fund, a community nonprofit devoted to improving the South Shore area — including Apollo Beach.
As part of that effort, the group will host a cleanup event on Saturday, Aug. 29, from 8 a.m. to noon.
The group will gather Saturday at the corner of Fairway Boulevard and Apollo Beach Boulevard, next to the Dollar General store.
They will then clean up 4 miles of Apollo Beach Boulevard before a pizza party at Apollo Pizza when the work is done.
“This is the first impression (on Apollo Beach Boulevard). This is what people see when they’re coming to the area,” Alexander said.
“A lot of trash ends up here. And if you don’t pick it up — and a lot of people don’t — it ends up in the water; it ends up in people’s yards, and it just doesn’t look good,” Calitri said.
Numerous businesses are taking part in the cleanup effort as well.