Carrollwood Village wins county award for 114-volunteer cleanup

One hundred and fourteen volunteers turned out for a single day of work, and that effort just paid off in cash and recognition. Hillsborough County named the Carrollwood Village Homeowners Association the 2026 Neighborhood of the Year.

County officials presented the award at a ceremony held on October 20 at the Carrollwood Cultural Center. Representatives from the association, which manages Phases I, II and III of the community, accepted a check for $500 on the spot.

The award recognizes projects completed between July 2025 and June 2026. For its fourth annual cleanup, the association offered residents recycling, document shredding, and a new service to pick up large, hard-to-move items from homes. Hillsborough County Solid Waste helped run the event through its Community Cleanup Program, with support from Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful and Hillsborough County Parks & Recreation.

The Neighborhood of the Year title is part of the county’s annual Neighborhood Awards, a program run by Hillsborough County Neighborhood Relations. These awards go to groups in unincorporated areas of the county that run programs to make their neighborhoods safer and more connected.

Two other groups took home honors at the same event. The Buckhorn Groves Homeowners Association in Valrico won the Safe Neighborhood Award. Fifteen of its volunteers upgraded local play areas by adding benches and a table. They also replaced worn boards on existing seats and installed a trash can at the entrance to the play space.

Bay Port Colony Property Owners in Town ‘N’ Country received the Healthy Neighborhood Award. Residents held a “Trash Bash” to remove bulky furniture, yard waste, and old electronics. They also organized a waterways cleanup where 100 volunteers used kayaks, boats, and their feet to pull trash and storm debris from local lakes and ponds.