Fort Pierce Central Students Launch Spring Break with Jaycee Park Cleanup

Students from Fort Pierce Central High School gave up the first morning of their Spring Break on Saturday, March 14, to clean the shoreline at Jaycee Park in Fort Pierce during the seventh annual Kimberly Pearson Beach Clean-Up.

Members of the school's National Honor Society and Key Club volunteered to remove debris from the local waterfront, continuing a tradition that honors Kimberly Pearson, a Fort Pierce Central marine biology teacher whose legacy centered on ocean conservation, lifelong learning and community service.

This year's event partnered with the Great American Clean-Up in Fort Pierce, connecting the local effort to a nationwide initiative focused on community beautification. The alignment amplified the day's purpose.

The Kimberly Pearson Memorial Foundation at Fort Pierce Central helped anchor the event, alongside family members Scott Pearson and Susie Pearson. Panera contributed food through its "End of Day Dough-nations" program.

The annual clean-up, now in its seventh year, has become a model of student-led environmental stewardship on the Treasure Coast — a region where the health of nearshore waters directly affects the Indian River Lagoon ecosystem, local fishing charters and coastal property values.

Student volunteers showed strong commitment to service and community pride by participating on the opening day of Spring Break, according to St. Lucie Public Schools.

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