50 help out at Long Beach cleanup event

Katelynn Schmitterer, 24, was on her hands and knees, digging in the cool, damp, tan sand under the Long Beach boardwalk.

Schmitterer gathered plastic bags, bottles and other expected debris from the dunes, volunteering with her boyfriend, Teddy Bernhardi, at Saturday's "Barefoot Wine Beach Rescue Project" cleanup.

They went under the boardwalk because, they said, that is where much of the garbage accumulates.

"I'm just helping out and giving back," said Bernhardi, of Long Beach, who regularly swims and surfs there. Within 10 minutes, the couple had filled two clear 30-gallon plastic bags with garbage.

The cleanup was sponsored by Barefoot Wine and the Surfrider Foundation, a national nonprofit. Since 2007, the project has traveled coast-to-coast hosting more than 75 beach cleanups and dune restorations.

The project came to Long Beach for the first time Saturday to help raise awareness about the beach's importance in the community.

Larry Moriarty, treasurer of Surfrider's central Long Island chapter, said the event helped send an important message. "We love our beach, and we want to keep it clean."

After the event, John Weber of Surfrider said about 50 people had volunteered and collected as many bags by the end of the two hours.

Several elected officials showed up to lend a hand.

"This is what we believe in," said Len Torres, president of the City Council. He was with the former president, Fran Adelson, and they were looking through their findings, which included glass and wrappers.

"We like to see our beach clean," Adelson said. "Seeing someone else clean up, people may remember to take their garbage with them."