Justin Rudd and his monthly “30-Minute Beach Cleanup” will celebrate their 11th anniversary on Saturday, June 19, at 10 a.m. at 1 Granada Avenue. It will be the 132nd consecutive month of cleanups at the location that stretches 1-mile along the Pacific’s coast.
Volunteers who attend this cleanup and who have also helped with at least two of Rudd’s other monthly cleanups over the past 11 years will receive a free “30-Minute Beach Cleanup” T-shirt. And, in honor of Father’s Day weekend, each dad who volunteers on Saturday will get a T-shirt. Additionally, refreshments will be served.
As usual, the cleanup will take place from 10-10:30 a.m. Door prizes and refreshments will be given immediately following on the beach at the end of Granada Avenue in Belmont Shore.
Justin Rudd, founder/organizer of the “30-Minute Beach Cleanup” said the program is essential to improving the aquatic environment as debris threatens wildlife and the overall ecosystem.
Thousands of bags of trash have been collected and thousands of volunteers of all ages have helped to keep our beaches clean and safe by volunteering just 30 minutes on the third Saturday of each month, rain or shine, since June 1999. Soon after Rudd moved to Long Beach from his home state of Alabama, he began noticing the sad state of the city’s beaches and wanted to do something about it.
Rudd one day asked his friends to help him clean up the dirty beach that he noticed on his daily jogs. Wanting to make it easy for people to attend, Rudd decided to keep the cleanups short—only a half an hour.
He also gave out bags and gloves, free parking and recruited businesses to donate refreshments. The monthly events now average 200+ volunteers.
Long Beach is especially affected by debris from run-off as the Los Angeles and San Gabriel rivers empty on either side of Long Beach. Eventually, the trash returns to shore. The city of Long Beach removes much of the trash, but oranizers believe there remains an on-going need for citizens to help cleanup efforts.
For more information, visit www.BeachCleanup.org.
