A local beach cleanup in Del Mar celebrated its second anniversary on May 31 with a meetup that began at Powerhouse Park.
“The plan was to start it on the last Saturday of each month and just see how we got on,” said Lloyd O’Neill, a Del Mar resident for the last three and a half years.
It has since taken place every month with about 15 to 20 volunteers from around the Del Mar community. The anniversary event went very well.
“We had a great turn out of over 50 people throughout the two hours,” O’Neill said in an email. “It has been a wonderful way to give back to the local community, create meaningful relationships, and start the weekend off in a positive way. I will be continuing on the last Saturday of every month with the next on June 28.”
For O’Neill, who is originally from England and more recently lived in Atlanta, the cleanup is an effort to “start the weekend off in a positive way and create cool relationships.”
It also helps keep the beaches clean.
“It is surprising how much stuff you find that has blown into the bluffs, blown into the bushes, things like that,” he said.
O’Neill said he’s used his real estate business to raise some awareness about the cleanup and get people involved. Now he’s looking into doing more outreach in local schools and the business community to keep the cleanup growing.
“The plan long term is to keep spreading the word,” he said.
For more information on the beach cleanup and to sign up, visit collectiveabode.com/beachcleanup.
