Fort Pierce proclaims Treasure Coast Waterway Cleanup week; city honors outstanding youth

Mayor Linda Hudson proclaimed the week of July 2025 as Treasure Coast Waterway Cleanup Week and the City of Fort Pierce presented youth recognition awards at the June 16 commission meeting.

Why it matters: The proclamation highlights volunteer action to reduce litter and protect local waterways, and the youth awards recognize students for community service, academic achievement and entrepreneurship—efforts the commission said reflect positively on the city’s future leaders.

Treasure Coast Waterway Cleanup: Forrest Blanton (representing the Treasure Coast Waterway Cleanup) received the proclamation on behalf of organizers. Organizers said the annual cleanup will be held July 26, 2025 and that the 18th annual event is coordinated by the Marine Industry Association of the Treasure Coast in conjunction with the Florida Navigation District and volunteers. Organizers noted multi‑jurisdiction participation and four collection areas planned in the city: Fort Pierce Yacht Club, JAC Park boat ramp, Manatee Center boat ramp and Stand Lane boat ramp. Organizers said the cleanup has removed substantial amounts of debris over time; meeting remarks included statements that more than 104 tons of trash have been collected since the event began, while specific year‑to‑year figures were not consistently stated in the presentation.

Youth awards: The Fort Pierce Youth Council presented the City of Fort Pierce Outstanding Youth Awards for 2025. Janessa Diaz, chair of the Youth Council, introduced award recipients and council members. The recipients were: - Hollis Fortune (humanitarian award): identified as a sixth grader at Chester A. Moore K‑8, recognized for community service including assisting the homeless and visiting nursing homes and for leadership roles at school and in extracurricular groups. - Jose Hernandez (student‑athlete award): identified as a 10th grader at Fort Pierce Central High School, cited for a 3.5 GPA, honor‑roll distinction, and participation in Olympic‑style amateur boxing and community cleanup efforts. - Milan Taylor (visionary award): identified as a 9th grader at the Lindsay School of the Arts, recognized for entrepreneurship (Little Lemons lemonade business), dance leadership and academic achievement.

Commissioners and the mayor praised the youth council and award recipients, encouraged continued civic engagement and invited awardees to consider future participation in youth‑oriented city programs.

Next steps: Organizers encouraged residents and organizations to join the cleanup on July 26, 2025. The city will maintain outreach and youth council engagement through its normal community‑events channels.