On Sunday, October 23, 2022, more than 40 WeLoveU Foundation volunteers and Citibank employees teamed up to clean Gandy North Beach in St. Petersburg, Florida. Keep Pinellas Beautiful helped by supplying equipment, trash bags, and tools.
About Gandy North Beach
Gandy North Beach is a fishing pier with mangroves tucked away from view where many people come to unwind by fishing and spending time with family. Over time, trash has accumulated on the seashore and in the mangroves, making it difficult for wildlife to thrive and hunt for food. Additionally, the reverse storm surge resulting from Hurricane Ian brought more debris onto the shore.
The volunteers cleaned the beachside at 10:30 a.m. and found trash of all sizes. The waste findings included cardboard, car tires, bottle caps, Styrofoam, cigarette butts, and plastic. The cleanup ended around 12:30 p.m. Within that time, the volunteers removed 58 bags of trash, weighing more than 400 lbs., from the beach.
Collecting the Data!
The volunteers meticulously gathered the data of each individual piece of trash collected for the Ocean Conservancy’s data on Trash Free Seas. The volunteers quantified the small debris collected into the following major categories: 137 foam pieces, 409 glass shards, and 696 pieces of plastic waste. The data gathered during the cleanup will help paint big-picture solutions to the ocean plastic crisis.
A Word From the Volunteers
“It was amazing to work with the WeLoveU Foundation,” expressed a Citibank employee volunteer. “The WeLoveU volunteers came prepared and provided everything we needed to be able to get the job done right. It was a very encouraging, supportive, and positive atmosphere.”
“I’m thankful to be able to volunteer with WeLoveU because, as human beings, we can’t do this by ourselves,” explained WeLoveU volunteer ZhengTai Wan. “We need someone to organize, somebody who raises the banner and will join the call for the cause, so thank you very much for organizing this and bringing us all together and making this happen. If anybody sees this, come out here.”
The commitment and passion of the WeLoveU volunteers in Florida towards refreshing the environment through cleanups have resulted in partnerships with Keep Pinellas Beautiful, Gannon University, Power Home Remodeling, and now Citibank. The volunteers’ unity will continue to inspire a cleaner and happier environment for marine life and the community.
6 thoughts on “WeLoveU Volunteers & CitiBank Employees Team Up for a Beach Cleanup”
When you see a clean beach, you don’t realize that its really because of these volunteers, who take time out of their day to clean the trash left behind by so many people.
I wish more people were like the WELOVEU volunteers, making the world a better place, on beach (or place) at a time!
WOW!! so great to see all the WeLoveU volunteers come together lending a hand to help our global family. All the plastic collected will surely help, not only us but even all the sea creatures living in the ocean.
It’s so refreshing to walk along a clean beach so I am really happy to see WLU volunteers working hard to remove trash from Gandy North Beach. I am sure both the residents and wildlife were very appreciative!
Wow! I’m so glad to be a part of a wonderful organization that strives to promote happiness through great deeds like these! WeLoveU family, keep up the amazing work! ❤️
Another great job accomplished by WeLoveU volunteers! And great partnership with Citi Bank. Now families can spend time together in cleaner environments. This is an example that helps pave the way to keep communities clean, and given their situation with Ian, I’m sure it’s a small relief that is needed.
Wow that is incredible. The WeLoveU volunteers must have worked extremely hard. Especially seeing as how they gathered over 400 pounds of trash. That is incredible.
Good work guys. We appreciate you keeping our community clean and safe.
We Love U 🌺