Fall into Action for the Jersey Shore Beach Sweeps

Clean Ocean Action (COA) invites citizens and organizations to participate in the 28th Annual Fall Beach Sweeps as part of the Wave of Action on Oct. 19 at over 65 sites along the Jersey Shore. A complete list of cleanup locations and times can be found at www.CleanOceanAction.org.
Cape May County beach sweep locations:
Avalon – 30th St. Beach **Sponsored by Surfrider Foundation South Jersey Chapter, In Memory of Tommy Kraemer**
Cape May – Nature Center of Cape May (1600 Delaware Avenue)
Del Haven – Sunray Beach
North Wildwood – 15th Avenue (at Beach Patrol Building)
Ocean City – **NOTE** Ocean City’s Beach Sweep will take place on Sept. 21 from 9 a.m. to Noon. Registration at 9th & Boardwalk. For more information call (609) 399-6111.
Sea Isle City – *held on Oct. 12* John F. Kennedy Boulevard Beach
Stone Harbor – 96th Street Beach
Upper Township – Webster Avenue
Wildwood – Poplar Avenue Beach
Wildwood Crest – Centenial Park Atlantic & Fern
“Clean Ocean Action is excited to continue to integrate Beach Sweeps into the Waves of Action program, a year-long initiative to recover and restore the NY/NJ coastline after the devastation of Sandy,” commented Catie Tobin, Clean Ocean Action Ocean Advocacy and Education Fellow.
The Beach Sweeps is much more than picking up trash, it’s about collecting data to help reduce sources of pollution. Volunteers are instructed to record the quantity and types of debris found. The information collected at the Sweeps is analyzed and published into annual reports. These reports help identify pollution problems, aid legislators in enacting laws to protect our marine environment, and inform local, state and international efforts to combat marine pollution. COA will release the 2013 Annual Beach Sweep report mid-April, just in time for the spring Beach Sweeps. All reports are available online at www.CleanOceanAction.org.
COA encourages participation from volunteers of all ages individually or from businesses, families, and organizations. Volunteers are requested to pre-register by using the online sign-up form at www.CleanOceanAction.org. Volunteers should wear gloves, dress for the weather, apply sunscreen, and wear closed-toed, hard-soled shoes. Volunteers can find a site near them from Cape May County to Middlesex County. Click here for a complete list of sites.
A number of businesses partner with COA to sponsor the Beach Sweeps. The Statewide Sponsors for the 2013 Beach Sweeps are Aveda and Bank of America.
“Through Beach Sweeps, our teams of volunteers have assisted in cleaning-up trash and debris on New Jersey beaches, lakes, rivers and streams,” said Bob Doherty, New Jersey president, Bank of America. “Clean Ocean Action offers people a chance to improve their environment and be part of a global effort to drive positive change.”
County Sponsors include Atlantic City Electric, BD, Brook 35 & West, Comcast Cares, Montecalvo Material Recovery Facility, The Grove, TD Bank, Shoprite Wakefern and United Teletech Financial. Site Sponsors include Adventure Aquarium – Ocean City 59th Street Pavilion, Baine Contracting – Brick Beach I, Brookdale Community College – Middletown Bayshore Waterfront Park, Enterprise Rent A Car – Sandy Hook, Kohl’s – Sandy Hook, New Jersey Natural Gas – Belmar 1st Avenue, Paul V. Fernicola & Associates – Loch Arbour/Allenhurst, Surfrider Foundation/Jersey Shore Chapter – Asbury Park North Beach, Surfrider Foundation/South Jersey Chapter – In Memory of Tommy Kraemer – Avalon.
FUNdraise:
Support Beach Sweeps: raise $100 and receive a special gift.
Start your fundraiser at http://www.crowdrise.com/BeachSweeps.