Local authorities said social media drew too many young people to last year’s Deltopia street party, but Adam Porte is hoping to harness the power of communication for good.
Porte, who works for the Isla Vista Recreation and Park District supervising its Adopt-A-Block cleanup program, has created a “Deltopia Cleanup” Facebook page to pick up after Saturday’s festivities.
Already, more than 1,300 have RSVP’d to attend the cleanup, set to meet at 961 Embarcadero Del Mar in Isla Vista at 11 a.m. Sunday, working until 1 p.m. or later.
That’s way more than the 367 volunteers Porte saw in 2014, when the annual unsanctioned, alcohol-fueled event escalated into rioting, deployment of tear gas, and injuries to deputies, officers and bystanders, as well as dozens of medical calls.
He hosts similar efforts after Halloween weekend, focusing on education and outreach.
This year’s Deltopia coincides with the Easter holiday and is expected to attract 15,000 young college- and high-school-age people to the densely populated unincorporated community near UC Santa Barbara’s campus.
“There are no holidays when it comes to sanitation,” Porte said. “Last year during the cleanup, people were just coming out of their own houses with brooms and dust pans. Last year was by far way, way worse.”
The group last year spent a combined 666 hours cleaning up approximately 7,000 pounds of trash, Porte said.
Among the “frightening” finds and piles of broken glass, he said nearly 90 percent of all volunteers said cigarette butts were the most commonly located litter.
With that in mind, Porte will be out on Saturday from 1 to 3 p.m. at Camino Pescadero Park giving away 1,000 personal pocket ashtrays. Keep America Beautiful donated the oval-shaped metal devices, which hold up to six cigarettes and are reusable.
“We’re trying to be a little more proactive than reactive,” Porte said. “I have a pretty good team of key volunteers.
“I’ve never had a cleanup that big. Even if a fraction of those people show up, that’s great. I have plenty of trash bags and gloves for everyone.”
— Noozhawk staff writer Gina Potthoff can be reached at gpotthoff@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.