MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — We're counting down to game day, but in the days leading up to the Super Bowl, there are several environmental events planned throughout the community. It all started today on the beach in Manatee County, Monday.
"We are all happy to have the Super Bowl in Tampa,” Martín Gramática said. “But now our own team's in the backyard playing so it's even better!”
As a former Buccaneer, Gramática couldn't be more excited. He knows the feeling of making it to the Super Bowl all too well.
"To be a Super Bowl winner, that's really hard to explain. It's what you play for,” Gramática said. “I don't have a doubt they'll be ready."
But before the big game, he says there's some work to be done.
"It's kind of like when you have people over at your house you try to make it spotless, that's what we are doing,” Gramática said. “We have so many people coming into Tampa Bay to look at our beaches and we live in paradise and we want to show the world how beautiful our beaches are, our town is, our city is so that's why we are here."
Super Bowl Green Week kicked off near Spanish Rocks Reef on Anna Maria Island, Monday. Force Blue teamed up with NFL Green, Pepsi Stronger Together, and the Super Bowl LV Host Committee to tackle ocean debris.
This unique project is a Super Bowl first, and they're calling it Dive 55.
"We have the most beautiful country in the world and we are doing things like our ocean cleanup and our beach cleanup today to keep it beautiful,” Rudy Reyes said.
Reyes is a recon marine veteran and cofounder of Force Blue.
He along with other retired special ops military veterans were among the 55 men and women who suited up to retrieve marine debris and discarded fishing gear from the waters.
"I believe service never ends,” Reyes said. “It makes me feel fantastic that I'm here doing something so special for the community and for the people here in Tampa, they are awesome folks!”
The marine debris that is found will be sorted for repurposing or proper disposal. Some of the items will be turned into artwork by Hillsborough County students, then displayed at the Florida Aquarium to help build awareness about marine debris.
"It's kind of an offshoot of our Washed Ashore exhibit that we have right now at the aquarium which is an amazing exhibit that's going away in February,” Dr. Debborah Luke said.
She’s the senior vice president of conservation with the Florida Aquarium.
“We want to mimic developing art pieces that tell the story of why marine debris is bad, and this is out of marine debris itself,” Luke said.
Dr. Luke says they found 2,000 pounds of trash and debris in the water and along the sand.
She says what's not used for art will be properly disposed of and the marine life trapped in the trash will be released back in the water.
Again this is just the start of Super Bowl Green Week. Tomorrow you'll find community volunteers working with Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful to focus on building community gardens.