370 take part in Coastal Cleanup,
1,604.08 kilos of trash collected
MULLET BAY--A record number of persons took part in the local leg of the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) last week Saturday, during which some 1,604.08 kilos of trash was collected from Mullet Bay Beach.
The cleanup was carried out simultaneously with others in almost 100 countries. During the exercise Heineken St. Maarten and Amstel Bright General Manager John Leone announced a Bright Beaches initiative in which 25 cents from each case of Amstel Light sold will go towards beach cleanups (see related story).
Some 370 volunteers, 130 more than last year’s 240, took part in Saturday’s event, which St. Maarten Pride Foundation President Jadira Veen described as “overwhelming.”
Veen said preliminary figures showed that some 112 bags of trash, 19 more than last year’s 93, had been collected. The 1,604.08 kilos of trash collected exceeded the 908 kilos collected from the beach in 2006.
Educator Terry Peterson conducted two additional ICC events on Sunday, one at Mullet Bay Rocky Coast that involved the Seventh Day Adventist Pathfinders and one other at the Great Bay beach involving Sundial School students. The number of volunteers and total amount of trash collected in Sunday’s cleanup, which ran from 7:00am to 9:00am, were not readily available.
Participating in the cleanup on Saturday were the Scouts and Cub Scouts, Be Your Own Boss candidates, the Lion’s Club and the Leos, the Interact Club St. Dominic High, Learning Unlimited, Caribbean International Academy, St. Dominic High, Quota International Club, St. Maarten Chamber of Commerce, the Filipino community of St. Maarten, Oyster Bay Beach Resort staff, Methodist Agogic Centre, St. Maarten Hospitality and Trade Association volunteers, Rotary Club and Rotary Mid Isle, Nature Foundation volunteers, and other residents and visitors.
Veen said Mr. Brooks of Brooks Roofing also had volunteered his time to do the underwater cleanup, while Windward Islands Emergency Medical Services (WIEMS) volunteers were also on hand to render assistance if first aid was needed. Clean St. Maarten N.V sponsored the removal of trash from the site.
Small Business Development Foundation (SBDF) Executive Director Ludwig Ouenniche of the “Be Your Own Boss” pilot programme said almost all the programme’s candidates had taken part in Saturday’s cleanup.
In a press release over the weekend Ouenniche said he and some 13 participants, including two divers, programme mentor Carmen Richardson and driver Michael Morton, had taken part in the exercise, collecting more than 100 kilos of trash and “several large-size hazardous items.”
“This initiative certainly shows a true sense of community-responsible involvement of the candidates, while going through the BYOB program,” Ouenniche said. “SBDF congratulates Pride and Ocean Care Foundations for another cleaning well organised and attended, and thanks them for giving our future young entrepreneurs the possibility to participate.”
Said Veen: “The event was overwhelming, as more volunteers are not only enjoying the volunteer spirit, but they see the need for taking part in an event that many countries around the world are participating in as well.
“One of the things that Pride Foundation volunteers cannot comprehend is the practice of our residents who dump household and construction debris on our beaches and around our coastline. Volunteers found a men’s urinal for the second consecutive year, computer monitors, large steel bars and household appliances.”
