Long Beach State University Athletics
49ers to Take Part in Coastal Cleanup
9/13/2006 12:00:00 AM | Track and Field
49ers Set to Clean the Coast this Weekend LONG BEACH, CA-- Long Beach State Track and Field invites the community to be a part of its fourth annual Coastal Cleanup on the shores of the San Gabriel River on Saturday, September 16. The team is meeting at the Nature Center on the South side of El Dorado Park off of Spring Street at 8:30 a.m. and are a part of an annual program which includes 52,000 participants nation wide picking up nearly a million pounds of garbage. This is one of 10 community service projects the 49er track team does each year. "Environmental issues are close to my heart. Taking care of our environment is important to our health and our health of wildlife that live here," said Head Coach Andy Sythe. "As a community, we make a difference when we get involved with projects like Coastal Cleanup." Those interested can email Sythe at asythe@csulb.edu or call (562) 618-1020. The 2006 Cleanup will look to build on the success of last year's nationwide event, when the largest single event in terms of volunteers and pounds of debris in the Cleanup's history took place. In Long Beach alone, California's fifth largest city, the trash problem is exacerbated by geography. The City of Long Beach lies between the mouths of two large river systems, the Los Angeles River on the west and the San Gabriel River on the east. Eighty percent of the debris found is from other jurisdictions, carried here by the storm drain system and these rivers. More information can be sought from the nationwide program by visiting www.coast4u.org. |
