Volunteers answer the call to clean devastated Treasure Island beaches

Jennifer Nolan had to do something.

She says she had "survivor's guilt" because her home in Seminole was spared by Hurricane Helene.

"I wouldn't want to be anywhere else but helping friends and family right now," she says.

So she answered Treasure Island Adopt-a-Beach's passionate Facebook call for help. The storm had destroyed their stretch of normally pristine vacationland. The beaches were littered with debris and refuse—things that normally wouldn't be in the sand.

"We were happy when we started," says Jennifer, "but then we found kids' toys and two dead turtles, and that just hits you."

Hundreds of volunteers answered the call, busing into Treasure Island with buckets and shovels. Leading the brigade is "Beach Ambassador" Carrie Auerbach.

The beach needs to be cleaned before the displaced sand on streets and in neighbors' yards is restored to its proper location. The task is nothing short of herculean.

"This is unprecedented," says Carrie. "We're learning as we go."

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