County’s ‘Get Hooked’ Campaign Honored

St. Johns County’s litter awareness program is turning heads and not just in Northeast Florida. The county’s “Get Hooked” anti-litter initiative recently received several awards at the Savvy Awards Ceremony, held at the 3CMA (City-County Communications & Marketing Association) Annual Conference in Arlington, Texas, according toa county media release. The initiative was spearheaded by the Office of Public Affairs and Public Works Department.

With more than 1,100 entries from local governments across the nation in 38 categories, St. Johns County received the first-place Savvy Award in the Go Green Communication Program Efforts Division for the Get Hooked initiative. Additionally, the campaign was recognized with the Diamond Award for the Communications & Marketing Processes category, marking it as one of the three top achievements honored at 3CMA, the release stated.

Launched in January 2024, the Get Hooked initiative was developed in response to the collection of more than 49 tons of roadside debris by the County’s Road & Bridge Division Litter Crews in 2022. The campaign aims to educate and engage residents, raise awareness, and provide actionable steps to combat litter.

“We would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to our dedicated partners and volunteers whose efforts have made the Get Hooked campaign a resounding success,” Public Works Outreach Coordinator Matthew Denny said in the release. “We’re not just Getting Hooked; we’re getting results.”

According to the release, the impact of the effort is already being felt. Road & Bridge crews collected 16 tons of litter from January to June of this year, less than half the total collected during the same period in 2023.

Since its inception, the Get Hooked initiative has partnered with 20 organizations and hosted four countywide events, drawing nearly 900 participants. Together, they have collected almost 4,000 pounds of trash from local beaches and roadways, the release states.

“Residents have also played a vital role by participating in the County’s Adopt-A-Road program,” the release states. To date, volunteers have contributed nearly 1,000 hours and collected more than 10,000 pounds of litter.