Robert Moses beach cleanup to be held

The 25th annual beach cleanup at Robert Moses State Park will take place from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday at Field 2.

The event aims to remove debris from the beach while raising awareness about the impact of littering and dumping. It is co-sponsored by the Long Island Beach Buggy Association and the Long Island State Park Region.

According to state Sen. Owen Johnson (R-West Babylon), the cleanups have attracted more than 10,000 volunteers who have cleared 40,000 pounds of debris from the shoreline.

Data are sent to the Ocean Conservancy in Washington, D.C., where they are analyzed and compared to similar data from around the world. The data are also used by the state Department of Environmental Conservation to evaluate the effectiveness of current laws and programs designed to prevent debris from washing up on shore.

Volunteers are asked to wear comfortable walking shoes, gloves and sunscreen and are also encouraged to bring nonperishable food items, which will be donated to local food banks.