March 9th, 2019

Can you imagine sitting on the beach with more than half a ton of garbage, including medical waste, needles, and IV bags, scattered right next to you? Just visiting this beach puts you and others at risk of infections and diseases. More than 6 very large truckloads in one small area of an Añasco beach were collected on March 9th. Puerto Rico is known for their beautiful beaches and crystal clear waters. Why let these unsightly and unsafe conditions take away from a fantastic tourist destination when all it takes is a little effort to help improve the environment?

Some of our volunteers that participated in the beach cleanup

I never expected such a big turnout, with a total of 56 volunteers. I am completely in awe and totally inspired to see the community come together to support such a great cause for keeping our oceans and environment clean. Not only are we making our environment safe for us humans, but also for the animals and sea life. As you can see below, even animals are affected by human actions.

One of our volunteers found a lizard stuck in a glass bottle. It was rescued seconds later after this video was taken!

A major thank you to all of the businesses who sponsored and donated to this event!

We had so many volunteers show up, ranging from youngsters to seniors. An Añasco High School social studies teacher brought some of his students to volunteer at this community event. The cleanup also had spring breakers participating during their vacation time. Some volunteers were enthusiastic enough to show up an hour early before the cleanup. This showed that there was a true desire to help improve the community and environment.