PENSACOLA, FL – The Florida Department of Health in Escambia County (FDOH-Escambia) celebrated Earth Day with a Florida Health Cleans Up! activity. The Florida Department of Health (FDOH) launched Florida Health Cleans Up! in 2014 to support the Florida Department of Transportation’s (FDOT) roadside litter prevention media campaign known as, “Drive it home…Keep Our Paradise Litter Free.”

Ten employees from FDOH-Escambia participated in the Florida Health Cleans Up! activity on Wednesday, April 22, 2015. FDOH-Escambia staff partnered with the City of Pensacola to coordinate the clean-up at Sanders Beach Community Park. The Florida Health Cleans Up! Escambia team collected litter and plant debris throughout the park’s 3.5-acre grounds.

This is the second Florida Health Cleans Up! activity coordinated by FDOH-Escambia and City of Pensacola. The first activity occurred on Friday, October 17, 2014. During that event, fifteen FDOH-Escambia employees participated in the clean-up of Sanders Beach Community Park.

“Safe, litter-free outdoor spaces are an important part of a healthy community,” said Versilla Turner, Director of FDOH-Escambia’s Health Education Division. “Healthy communities make it easier for residents to make better lifestyle choices, such as being physically active every day.”  

Florida Health Cleans Up! is part of the Florida Department of Health’s Healthiest Weight initiative. More than 1000 FDOH employees around the state have formed 71 teams to participate regularly in a variety of local clean-up activities. At least twice a year, almost 120 miles will be “swept” by these teams, including more than 17 miles of state highway, 25 miles of city streets, 12 miles of trails, 178 acres of parks, and 34 miles of shoreline.

“Florida Health Cleans Up! emphasizes that clean spaces matter for healthy living,” said Dr. John Armstrong, Florida State Surgeon General and Secretary of Health. “As we restore some of Florida’s wonderful highways, streets, trails, parks, and shorelines, this project will put the spotlight on the importance of healthy choices to prevent trash in the first place.”

The Florida Department of Health works to protect, promote and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county and community efforts.

Follow us on Twitter at @HealthyFla and on Facebook.