A hardy thank you goes to Robert Matthews, of the Fort Walton Beach Chamber Environmental Committee, Trinity United Methodist men and other volunteers that were instrumental in helping make sure the aftermath of the 2013 Billy Bowlegs Festival didn’t end up in our waterways and landscape.

For more than 50 years, the Billy Bowleg Festival has generated piles of waste, including recyclable paper, aluminum cans and plastic and glass bottles. While others are having fun celebrating the "coming ashore" of Billy Bowlegs and his crew, Matthews and his crew of volunteers is there caring for the environment. This year, this group was responsible for keeping 200 pounds of aluminum out of the landfill, as well as bags and bags of plastic, cardboard and glass.