ECCL’s Adopt-A-Highway volunteers Frank Connolly, Sharon Hall and John Hersh gathering litter along Hwy 41.
Kudos to the many Estero residents who joined together again this season to help keep our roadways free of litter and looking beautiful.
Residents volunteered through three programs: FDOT’s Adopt-A-Highway Program, Lee County’s Adopt-A-Road Program and the Village of Estero’s Adopt-A-Road Program supported by Keep Lee County Beautiful.
The Estero Council of Community Leaders started their clean-up campaign through the FDOT’s Adopt-A-Highway Program in October 2020. Volunteers from 30 communities and businesses have gathered 4.7 tons of litter along a 4.3-mile long portion of Hwy 41, starting from The Vines entrance down past Coconut Road.
Marathon Fuel/Dos Amigos Authentic Mexican Grill has generously provided water and ice for these volunteers since they first started their clean-up project.
Estero participants in the Lee County’s Adopt-A-Road Program include volunteers from Country Creek, River of Life Church, Suffolk Construction, Pro-Line, Rookery Pointe/Heatherstone, RMS (Residential Maintenance Solutions), and several FGCU organizations. All County program sections in Estero are currently adopted.
Estero Parkway
Above left to right: Kathie Lavery, Karen Fazio, Michael Fazio, Roman Lucky, Alexandra Lucky, Anne Rupp, Lori Huntoon, Annette Paul, Char McKenzie, Hugh Ivany, Sophia Heunisch, George Heunisch.
Volunteers not pictured: Theresa Maier, Wally Lennox, Randy Perry, Chris Green, Gary Green, David Vaillancourt, Barb and Max Johnson, Nancy and John Deacy, Judy and Alphee Lefebvre.
Twenty-four volunteers from Cascades of Estero participated in the Estero Parkway Adopt-A-Road Program, picking up litter along the 1.7 mile stretch of Estero Parkway from Hwy 41 to Three Oaks Parkway. Total volunteer time logged was 77+ hours and 980 pounds (almost half a ton) of litter was collected.
Estero Parkway Volunteer Coordinators Char McKenzie and Hugh Ivany also recognized 7-Eleven on Estero Parkway for donating bottled water to keep their volunteers hydrated, and Med Express for allowing all of the collected litter to be dumped into their dumpsters.
Their monthly litter pick-up events will be started again in October. In the meantime, many anonymous volunteers have also picked up and deposited litter into a dedicated bin on their regular walks on Estero Parkway throughout this season.
Via Coconut Point
These volunteers are all residents of Genova who worked to keep Via Coconut Point and Williams Road free of trash and waste. They are from left to right: Nick Paver, Susan Majka, John Kotsi, Mario Restrepo, Michael Majka, Bob Girsch, Jim Barry, Tom Betts and Peter Griffin.
Via Coconut Point volunteers also include residents from these communities: Mirasol, Wildcat Run, Lighthouse Bay, Rapallo, Shadow Wood, Pelican Sound, and Colonial Oaks.
Via Coconut Point volunteers, left to right: Larry Fik, Joyce Fik, Diane Ahmer, Jim Williams.
Volunteers from Pelican Sound and Genova have also collected litter from Williams Road this season.
Total litter collection for the Village’s Adopt-A-Road Program this season comes to 2,140 pounds.
In addition, we appreciate our many neighbors in Estero who regularly pick up litter on their walks throughout the community. Everyone role-modeling this vision for an environmentally healthy and litter-free community is making a difference.
Residents interested in joining in this beautification campaign may contact:
FDOT Adopt-A-Highway & Village Adopt-A-Road Programs – Julie Yellig ecclhwy41@gmail.com
Estero Parkway Adopt-A-Road Program – Char McKenzie & Hugh Ivany charmckenzie1@aol.com, hughjivany@yahoo.com