Volunteers clean up Carolina Beach after Fourth of July

CAROLINA BEACH, NC (WWAY) — While the Fourth of July celebrations have ended, volunteers spent Sunday morning cleaning up what was left behind along the coast.

July 5 is typically one of the busiest days of the year for beach cleanups, as thousands of people flock to area beaches for Independence Day festivities. In Carolina Beach, volunteers with Surfrider Foundation Cape Fear gathered to collect litter left behind after the holiday.

Among them was Monkey Junction resident Patrick Kerr, who said helping keep the beach clean is something he feels strongly about.

“Carolina Beach is a beach that I come to all the time, so I’m very much into cleaning the beach after a dirty weekend like the July 4th holiday,” said Kerr.

Kerr said he believes the Cape Fear region’s beaches are worth keeping clean.

“Carolina Beach in particular, just like Wrightsville Beach, we have the most beautiful beaches I think in the area or on the East Coast so for me it’s just very important to keep those beaches very clean,” said Kerr.

The Surfrider Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting oceans, waves and coastlines through conservation, advocacy and volunteer efforts.

Surfrider Cape Fear Beach Cleanup Coordinator Robert Kaefer said the organization’s cleanups are about more than removing litter from the sand.

“Being out here on the beach and being visible, I think especially with the tourists, it shows that there is an issue with cleaning up after yourself on the beach, and I think the more people we see walking around actually cleaning up, then maybe more people would be a little more conscious about what they leave behind,” said Kaefer.

Volunteers used pickers, gloves and bags to collect litter along the shoreline. Each bag of trash was weighed, with the data added to a national database that tracks the types of debris found on beaches across the country.

Kaefer said seeing so many volunteers come together for the cleanup is rewarding.

“You know, I just wanted to give back and to see all these other people who have that like-mind, you know, it’s a beautiful thing,” said Kaefer.

Surfrider Cape Fear hosts beach cleanups throughout the year. More information about upcoming volunteer opportunities is available on the organization’s website.