He Has Risen

The sunrise service was a little too early for this young lady.

Collier Boulevard was busy with folks heading to the sunrise service.

The Easter sunrise service was a big hit.

Alan Sandlin has been the emcee of 25 sunrise services on Marco Beach.

Marco Islanders greet each other during the sunrise service.

Around 6,000 people and over 50 boats attended the service.

Matt Papa provided the music.

This grandmother and grandson enjoyed the service.

It was perfect weather for the sunrise service.

Ronnie Wooten of Marco Island enjoys the service.

This young lady may have been the best dressed lady on the beach.

This mother has her hands full at the sunrise service.

The sunrise service was a family affair.

A crowd of about 6,000 attended the sunrise service.

Reverend Thomas McCulley delivered the closing prayer. McCulley has been a pastor on Marco Island for “about half of my life.”

This gentleman has a smile on his face as he offers rides to service-goers.

A volunteer hands out programs.

By: Scott Shook

Posted Monday, April 18, 2022 5:00 pm

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By Scott H. Shook

The temperature was a spring-perfect 70 degrees for the 6,000 attendees on the beach. The Gulf was perfectly flat to accommodate the over 50 boats that anchored off the shoreline. And the message from the four reverends in attendance was welcoming. The 32nd annual Marco Island Sunrise Service could not have been more perfect.

“Everyone was anticipatory about what was going to happen after not being here the past two years,” said Alan Sandlin, the emcee who was officiating his 25th sunrise service. “By all counts, we had around 6,000 on the beach today. With Easter being this late in April, that is about as good as we've ever seen.”

Marco did not host a sunrise service during 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic.

"The music was outstanding,” Sandlin said. "The pastors from all the churches were outstanding. It couldn’t have been any better. Next year we’ll try to do something even greater and greater. A lot of it depends on the date of Easter. So many people have left the island in April.”

This is an amazing spectacle,” Sandlin continued, “we searched through Google and we have yet to find a beach sunrise service that has more people than right here on our little island. That’s kind of amazing, isn’t it?"