TAMPA, Fla. — Looking to get rid of your extra Gasparilla beads from last weekend? A local organization is encouraging people to donate them.
- Beads can be dropped off in Tampa
- They'll be repackaged, sold at next year's events
- BELOW: List of participating locations
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MacDonald Training Center, Inc. helps adults with learning disabilities receive training for careers.
You can drop the beads off at the center now. Beginning this weekend, bins will be placed at community centers throughout Tampa for people to drop their beads in.
Through Earth Day, they will collect the beads and sort them. Then students at the center will repackage them and they'll be sold for next year's events.
"Instead of these beads ending up in the Bay, they're going back to support our mission," said Libby Barnes, the volunteer coordinator at the center.
The profits will help fund programs at the center. Last year nearly $3,000 was raised.
The participating community centers are below:
Copeland Park Community Center
11001 N 15th Street
Kate Jackson Community Center
821 S Rome Ave
Loretta Ingraham Recreation Complex
1611 N Hubert Ave
Port Tampa Community Center
4702 W McCoy St
MacDonald Training Center
(Weekdays 8:30am-4:30pm)
5420 W Cypress St