Beach Committee Honors Beach Cleanup Sponsors

The Beach and Coastal Resources Advisory Committee (BACR) took time during their monthly meeting on April 16 to say thank you to local community partners in Loving Our Beach and Keeping it Safe and Clean. This was in keeping with the spirit of National Volunteer Month, recognizing individuals and organizations with partnership going back to 2010. The recognition award ceremony was co-sponsored by the Marco Island Area Chamber of Commerce.

The following sponsors and partners were thanked for “Loving Our Beach” and their dedication to a clean and safe beach: ACE Painting, Marco Island Area Chamber of Commerce, Marco Island Civic Association (MICA), Marco Island Woman’s Club, America’s Boating Club (aka Marco Island Sail and Power Squadron), Marco Sportfishing Club, Marco Island Academy’s Key Club, Marco Island Area Association of Realtors, Marco Island Water Sports, and Marco Island Yoga.

There was another successful beach cleanup at South Beach on April 5. The Marco Chamber of Commerce was the sponsor and donated a new beach utility cart. Over 30 volunteers collected more than 60 pounds of trash during the two-hour beach cleanup. 

When we first came to Marco way back in 2011, I wanted to get involved with the community, and I saw a write-up about the monthly beach clean-up organized by the Beach Advisory Committee (BAC). It mentioned local sponsor Marco Island Civic Association (MICA) along with board member Bernardo Bezos, who would drive the MICA beach vehicle to collect the bagged trash. Bernardo was also a member of the BAC.

Other notable sponsors back then included CJ’s on the Bay’s previous owners, Curt and Jacquie Koon, and staff led by Executive Chef Laura Owen. For over eight years, they brought their employees for an annual sweep of the entire beach from Tigertail Beach, Residents Beach to South Beach with a final gathering for an employee picnic at Sarazen Park. They also partnered with students from Marco Island Academy’s Key Club for their stewardship of our beautiful beach.

In 2015, there was a name change from the Beach Advisory Committee (BAC) to the Beach and Coastal Resources Advisory Committee (BACR). Big thanks to Katie O’Hara of the Marco Chamber of Commerce and a BACR member, the LOVE YOUR BEACH iconic neon yellow t-shirt became the recognizable symbol of Marco’s beach cleanups. To this day, if you participated in a beach cleanup, you receive the t-shirt listing the beach sponsors on the back.

In an effort to lessen plastic trash on the beach, in 2018, BACR worked hard to “prohibit the use of plastic straws by those businesses located directly adjacent to the City Beach.” On March 5, 2018, City Council unanimously voted to “ditch the use of plastic straws.” This initiative was first introduced in 2012 by then Environmental Specialist Nancy Richie. 

March 7, 2019, was the last beach cleanup before it was closed on March 19, 2019, due to COVID. May 9, 2020, was the first beach cleanup at South Beach since Collier County closed its beaches. Thanks to the sponsorship of the Marco Island Area Association of Realtors, their volunteers were ready to clean the beach. Many residents with their families and friends showed up and were very happy to be back on their beautiful beach. 

For recipients who were not able to attend the ceremony, the award certificates are available for pickup at the Marco Island Chamber of Commerce at 1102 N. Collier Boulevard.

We welcome your partnership for future monthly beach cleanups. Please reach out to the Beach and Coastal Resources Advisory Committee for sponsorship opportunities at: astonik@cityofmarcoisland.com.

Next Beach Cleanup is Saturday, May 17, at 8:00 AM, at South Beach sponsored by Marco Island Area Association of Realtors.