International Coastal Clean Up Day

9/21/19

Rotary Club of St. Augustine and Rotary Club Avilés (Spain) hold

simultaneous beach and riverbank clean up on International Coastal Clean Up
Day, Sept. 21.

Members of the Rotary Club of St. Augustine and the organization’s sister
club, Rotary Club Avilés (Spain) held a simultaneous beach and riverbank
clean up on International Coastal Clean Up Day on Saturday, September 21.
Ninety members of EarlyAct, RotarAct and InterAct and their families joined
the Rotarians.m The transatlantic Rotary Club member project is an
international link to commemorate St. Augustine Rotary Club's 100th
anniversary year in 2020.  Locally, the beach cleanup took place at Frank B.
Butler County Park East, Minnie Street in Butler Beach, Fla.
According to Susan Parker, Ph.D., Rotary Club member, event coordinator, and
historian, the premise of the event is to recognize Pedro Menéndez, founder
of St. Augustine on Sept. 8, 1565, and a native of Avilés, who sailed the
Atlantic many times. Ships of his fleet sailed from Avilés to establish La
Florida and its first city, St. Augustine. “Avilés is celebrating an
anniversary as well with the 500th birthday of Menendez,” said Dr. Parker.
“The Atlantic Ocean ties the two cities to each other, and with this joint
project, we honor our historic ties and common concerns for the condition of
the beaches and oceans,” she said.  Both clubs will be wearing t-shirts
about the event provided by Rotary Club of St. Augustine. Dr. Parker is
coordinating the event and activities with Sabino Gonzalez, president of the
Rotary Club Avilés.The cleaners gathered on the beach for a photo, faced northeast out at the
Atlantic and toward Aviles, and waved to the Spanish city “We are proud to
be hosting the beach cleanup in September, and a variety of fun and formal
fundraising activities to celebrate our 100th anniversary next year
including a reverse raffle in January and the grand gala in May,” said

Peggy Gachet, Rotary Club of St. Augustine’s President.