Help clean up Ocean City beaches on Sept. 9

Turn the tide on trash on Ocean City beaches by joining the Ocean Conservancy’s Annual International Coastal Cleanup on Saturday, Sept. 9.

Starting at 10 a.m., volunteers are being urged to join this international effort to clean up the beaches.

The Coastal Day Cleanup, organized by Maryland Coastal Bays Program, Town of Ocean City, Ocean City Surf Club, Chesapeake Utilities and Sandpiper Energy, celebrates the Ocean Conservancy’s annual cleanup.

The event starts at the Ocean City Town Hall on 3rd Street. There, volunteers will receive trash bags, latex gloves, a trash tally sheet and a commemorative T-shirt courtesy of Chesapeake Utilities and Sandpiper Energy.  

Volunteers will pick up trash from 10 a.m. to noon. Tally sheets can be dropped off at Town Hall or can be mailed to the Ocean Conservancy. 

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The Ocean Conservancy tallies results from all over the world and posts them on its website at http://www.oceanconservancy.org/our-work/international-coastal-cleanup/2016-ocean-trash-index.html.

Throughout the world, people will be taking the time to celebrate this annual cleanup by picking up trash. More than a half million volunteers from 112 countries participated in last year’s cleanup.

The most collected item was cigarette butts, and tiny plastic pieces, which pose a huge threat to ocean animals, came in a close second.

If you have any questions or would like to participate in the Ocean City cleanup, contact Sandi Smith at sandis@mdcoastalbays.org or by calling 410-213-2297, ext. 106. 

For those in need of community service hours, this is the "perfect" event to serve your community and your environment, organizers say. This event is also a Maryland Day to serve event and those who serve at this event will receive credit.