Sept. 17, 2018
SMC Volunteers Join in Coastal Cleanup Day
SANTA MONICA, CA—Santa Monica College (SMC) volunteers from the college’s Black Collegians, Adelante Club, President’s Ambassadors, student clubs Eco Action and Plastic Free SMC, and other programs partnered with the Black Surfers Collective, the Black Historians, local schools, and community members on Saturday, Sept. 15 to help clean up Santa Monica College’s adopted section of beach, known as the “Inkwell”. The historic site—where SMC student Nick Gabaldón and other African Americans challenged Jim Crow racism and helped open public beaches for all—saw 550 volunteers in total who worked under the bright Southern California sun to pick up trash. 243 pounds including 43 pounds of recyclables were collected from the half-mile stretch of beach. Heal the Bay partners with the site captains for the 73 sites in Los Angeles County (SMC is considered “site captain” for the Pico Blvd./Bay St. site). At last report, LA County had a total of 12,500 volunteers at 73 sites who collected about 37,000 pounds of trash.
Heal the Bay photos
Santa Monica College students (L-R) Andrew Sloan, Chloe Sato, and Melissa Bruno at the registration table on site at SMC’s adopted section of the beach near Pico Blvd./Bay Street.
About 550 volunteers in total picked up 243 pounds of trash from a half-mile stretch of the Santa Monica beach.
SMC volunteers help sort through trash collected—looking for recyclables—at Coastal Cleanup Day 2018 at SMC’s adopted beach on Saturday, September 15.
A young volunteer proudly displays trash he collected on the beach in Santa Monica.
A family arrives to join SMC volunteers and other community members at the annual Coastal Cleanup Day community effort at SMC’s adopted beach.