Lady Bulldogs lacrosse team cleans up beach

Palm Coast Observer
Opinion

I’ve lived in Flagler County since 1990. A large part of growing up, especially as I got a little older, was to hang out at Flagler Beach with my friends.

We loved playing beach soccer, riding the waves with our boogie boards and enjoying the freedom of the sand and ocean.

But none of that would be possible if we had a dirty beach littered with trash.

Thanks to various organizations, the 19 miles of beach in Flagler County are kept relatively clean.

The Flagler Palm Coast High School girls lacrosse team is one of those organizations.

The girls team headed out Saturday, Aug. 20, to the beach to clean up any trash they could find.

Ten players, some parents, and assistant coach Jeff Southmayd visited Jungle Hut and Washington Grove Park, in the Hammock.

Half the group started at Jungle Hut, and the other half started at Washington Grove. The two groups then began working toward each other, picking up as much trash as they could before meeting.

By the end of the day, 20 bags of trash were collected, Southmayd said. The group covered three miles of beach.

“I think the girls understood that it was the type of activity that high school students should undertake but rarely do undertake,” Southmayd said Monday.

Southmayd, who is also involved in the Flagler Turtle Patrol, said the beach cleanup was a good opportunity to help enforce the values of good citizenship that is undertaken for no reason other than to serve others.

I know summer is over and school is back in session, but people use the beaches in Flagler County year-round. And the next time you head out there, remember it’s our residents who are helping keep it clean so we can all enjoy it. And if you see a piece of trash, do yourself and your neighbors a favor and pick it up. What’s good for one is good for all.

Back row, from left: Jessie Marolf, Nicole Madalena, Kristen Errett, Jeff Southmayd, Katie Kastner, Cassie Crain, and Kelly Kastner; front: Mackenzie Way, Kim Ramirez, Maria Meza, and Katia Zintchenko. COURTESY PHOTO