TYBEE ISLAND, Ga. — The Fourth of July festivities are over on Tybee Island. But after the party ends, the clean-up begins.
And one group of volunteers is doing its part to keep the beach clean.
As fireworks bring out big crowds to Tybee Island on the Fourth of July, inevitably, unwanted trash will be left behind.
That’s where Tybee Clean Beach or Fight Dirty Tybee enters the picture.
It’s a group of volunteers that gather to clean up the beach.
“It’s rare for us to do a weekday clean in the morning just because we try to get out in the evening when everybody leaves before the trash hits the water,” said Tim Arnold, the manager of the Tybee Clean Beach volunteers. “But the fireworks were too late last night, so we’re out here bright and early picking up what public works couldn’t get.”
Among those helping clean up — 8-year-old Lidea Clever and her mom. Lidea, in fact, even has her non-profit Save Sea Life with Liddy.
“So I’ve always loved the ocean, and when we moved here,” said Lidea. “I moved here five years ago. When we moved here, I figured I could just inspire people to clean up the ocean and save it.”
And, of course, all of that makes her mom incredibly proud, who says Lidea even had a beach cleanup for her birthday party a couple of years ago.
“She had quite a few students from her class actually come out and clean the beach,” said Christin Clever. “And it kind of renewed my sense in humanity to see her generation wanting to clean the beach and save the ocean, so we’re very, very proud.”
The Fight Dirty Tybee group organizes two clean-ups every other Sunday of each month. They’re next scheduled cleanup is Sunday, July 16, at 6:30 pm.
