Teaming Up and Cleaning Up to Help Save Our Florida Beaches
Broward School and Wellington Renewable Energy Firm Join Forces
Broward and Palm Beach Counties, Florida (September 18, 2021) – The International Coastal Cleanup™(ICC) is the world’s largest annual volunteer effort to clean up the marine environment. Though Saturday, September 18th was the designated day for ICC for 2021, in Palm Beach and surrounding Florida counties, many clean-up events are happening through fall.
For the past 36 years, The Ocean Conservancy has sponsored this annual event where volunteers from over 100 countries simultaneously visit local beaches and waterways to rid them of garbage and show their commitment to conservation. New River Middle School (NRMS) students, faculty, and family have participated in ICC for over ten years. Their 2021 site was again at Dr. Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park, located in Dania Beach off Florida State Road A1A.
Mindy Wessinger, NRMS principal, said the park always provides a pavilion free of charge to the school because it provides so many volunteers. “We use ICC Day as our kick-off event to create excitement around our school-wide project ‘Mission Possible/Marine Plastics,’” she says.
Wessinger said that Wellington-based Solarize USA’s sponsorship helped make this year’s event COVID safe by providing families boxed lunches from a local deli rather than hosting the traditional BBQ lunch cooked by school staff. The renewable energy consulting firm founded by Lucho Gomez safely served over 480 students, parents, friends, and family volunteers.
“We work to have our students become responsible stewards of the marine environment. Participating in these types of events as a school family provides students with firsthand knowledge of the magnitude of the problem, as well as how to become part of the solution,” says Wessinger, adding that Solarize USA has always been a great advocate and supporter of NRMS.
Without community partners like Solarize USA, she says events like this would not be possible. Gomez says anytime kids get out in nature and see how to be compassionate stewards, it’s a win.
“We loved collaborating with Mindy, Katie, and the rest of the team at New River and look forward to many more opportunities! I hope we can continue fostering a community of caring and environmentally enthusiastic humans and have a blast while we’re at it,” says Gomez.
About International Coastal Cleanup™
In partnership with volunteer organizations and individuals around the globe, the International Coastal Cleanup™(ICC) engages people to remove trash from the world’s beaches and waterways. Thanks to volunteers worldwide, the ICC has become a beacon of hope, leading and inspiring action supporting our oceans. Since its beginning, over 16 million volunteers have collected more than 340 million pounds of trash: oceanconservancy.org.
About New River Middle School
New River is a Marine Science Magnet School providing opportunities for students to explore marine and environmental careers, application to real-world issues, and foster stewardship in their backyard. The school is committed to getting students excited about learning through hands-on activities, such as International Coastal Cleanup: browardschools.com/newriver.
About SolarizeUSA
Solarize USA is a renewable energy consulting firm that helps neighbors become independent of utility monopolies. By guiding homeowners through renewable energy options, customers save thousands of dollars on electricity while dramatically reducing their carbon footprint. The company’s founding pillars are conservation, education, and innovation: solarizeusa.energy.
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Khanna Connections
Julie Khanna, President
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