Just a Day at the Beach
If you have followed my blog in the past, you may remember the company I work for believes in giving back, by donating time or money to important causes. This week just so happens to be Volunteer Week, and the opportunity I volunteered for was beach clean-up. What made this opportunity more special to me was the lake is located within my community.
The greenish-blue water against the light blue sky, peppered with white fluffy clouds, and a bright yellow backdrop of a warm springtime sun, was the perfect way to spend an afternoon. I would guess there were roughly fifteen to twenty volunteers that tackled about 3 miles of shoreline. Some went north as others headed south; each toting a large black trash bag. At first glance, the beach appeared relatively clean, but upon closer inspection, it was littered with plastic pieces, old tangled fishing line, plastic bags and six-pack holders, along with other treasures that were imbedded in the sand and surrounding brush. The Assistant Supervisor explained it is the little chards of debris that cause harm to the animals.
Making our way up and down the beach, bending and reaching, picking and bagging, through the loose sand. Most everyone agreed a tough day’s work on the beach was better than sitting in a closed-up office building, on such a beautiful day. The sand under my feet, the sun on my face, and the breeze on my back was just what the doctored ordered for this chick.
At the end of the day, even though our bags contained lots of small items, it didn’t appear that we made a big impact, but I know that is not the truth of the matter. Each and every item we collected was one less chance of harming an animal or a patron that will use the beach.
As we were finishing up, emptying the sand out of our shoes, and enjoying a bottle of water, a gentleman approached us; one that we had passed along a stretch of the beach. He stopped to thank us for helping to keep the shoreline clean. He was a frequent visitor of the beach, and thankful we cared about its beauty as he did. I am proud to work for a company that cares as much as I do about giving back. All in all, the beach clean-up was a success, and the weather turned out to be spectacular. It was a perfect day of paying it forward, or….just a day at the beach.
xoxox…..Sheryl