Several volunteers join for 4th annual CPAR beach clean-up

BAY COUNTY, Fla. ( WMBB ) – Keeping Bay County beaches beautiful comes at a price. Multiple organizations joined together Saturday morning for a beach clean up.

Bright and early, to beat the heat volunteers were lining the beach with buckets and trash bags in hand.

It’s the 4th annual Central Panhandle Association of Relator Young Professionals Network Beach Clean Up.

The conservative movement started at Rick Seltzer Park.

The event is part of the statewide Florida Realtors ‘Clean up Florida Water Initiative.’

“With the 4th of July, that’s the time of year with summer and fireworks and all those things that the most trash comes out here on the beach. And we want to keep them beautiful. We sell real estate out here and golf. We’re all just here to protect our marine life. And so we just join forces and come out once a year and pick up as much trash as we possibly can,” Women’s Council of Realtors President Lauren Beninate said.

Nearly 50 volunteers took part in Saturday’s event. Among these volunteers were the folks from the Gulf World Marine Institute who helped in the weighing process.

“We are just out here helping to take care of our beaches. It’s people who care about keeping the beaches clean and care about the animals and the ocean. And just wanting to help with conservation, everybody’s working really hard out here. The sweating out here in the sun, but picking up a lot of trash and helping the beach,” Gulf World Marine Institute Volunteer Erin Martin said.

Last year more than 400 pounds of trash was collected off the beach. This year they collected 153 pounds.

Many volunteers were happy knowing they were making a difference, especially the younger ones.

“We got to go to the beach and clean up and help them clean up the beaches. So that the dolphins don’t get so the turtles don’t get hurt. And if it goes in the water, the dolphins would chew,” volunteer Savion Clark said.

Clark collected almost a pound of trash.

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