Clayton Smith Remembered at Beach Cleanup

On February 10, 2024, around 75 volunteers collected about 75 pounds of debris for the February monthly beach cleanup, co-sponsored by Marco’s GETCATFIT and Ace Painting LLC. Cleanup volunteers are still finding large debris being washed up ashore, like a torn-up porch screen that was found along the dunes.

This is the 10th year Ace Painting has sponsored a Beach Cleanup on South Beach. Owners Sean and Nathan O’Donnell have over 20 years as local owners painting commercial and residential properties and for them, beach cleanup is a family affair. Nate’s son Braden is now a Freshman at Lely High School, and he was in first grade when he participated in his first beach cleanup.

This is the second year for GETCATFIT to sponsor a beach cleanup. CAT Burke is the owner with 30 years’ experience as a fitness professional and a monthly Coastal Breeze News columnist. You will often see the Burke family participating in local 5K races. 

This is the fourth year that a February beach cleanup set aside a few minutes to remember a “friend of the beach.” Marco Island Police Lieutenant Clayton Smith loved the beach, and the community remembered his passion and dedication to keeping the beach safe and clean. A beach bench at South Beach bears a memorial plaque in Clayton’s memory, thanks to the generosity of members of the Marco Island Police Foundation. It notes his EOW (End of Watch at 2-6-2020).

Former Marco Island Police Chief Al Schettino said a few words, recalling “a man who gave 31+ years to law enforcement including almost six years to the Marco Island Police Department. Clayton was not a 9 to 5 cop – he was always on duty. He loved the beach and during the 2017-2018 fish kill event on the beach, Clayton would come to the beach early and pick up the bigger dead fish.”

People used to ask why doesn’t the County clean the dead fish from the beach? This issue was frequently discussed by Beach and Coastal Resources and it was the position of the County that “it does not remove dead fish from beaches unless a public health issue arises (in the thousands rather than hundreds of fish).” And there were no funds set aside by the City for removal of dead fish at a lower threshold than Collier County. 

According to the University of Florida, the 2017-2018 red tide bloom was the longest documented red tide bloom on record. On Marco, it was not only dead fish but also dead birds that had to be picked up twice a day from the beach by volunteers. 

Former Councilor Bob Brown could not attend the Saturday morning beach cleanup but shared these thoughts: “The only thing I would share with a group of people concerning Clayton and my relationship would be, when I was ill in 2018 and in the hospital for most of the month of June, Clayton took time to come to the hospital every day on his lunchtime to talk.  He would swing by my condo and pick up anything I needed and would take things home for me. All of this while giving up his lunch, missing his own kids at school, and certainly picking up Lisa so the both could come up and see me on his day(s) off. I certainly will never forget Clayton and his kindness and hope all people could be as charitable as Clayton. His death was a tragedy that will never be forgotten by me.”

This Saturday, Marco Island Yoga had their morning session at South Beach as a reminder that “every day, something special awaits us, if only we are paying attention. Namaste.”

Save the date: March 16, 2024, at South Beach sponsored by America’s Boating Club and Marco Sportfishing Club.