By Bethany Chambers, Staff writer of Hometown News | Read Original Article

Gerry Kollar, a 37-year-old Web designer from Daytona Beach, spent last Wednesday afternoon enjoying Sun Splash Park with his wife and 2-year-old daughter. Dressed in his best flowered beach shirt, he watched as his daughter fluttered around in the fountain with other toddlers.

“They spend a lot of time and money keeping this place clean,” he said. “There’s not much else [the county] could do to make it better.”

On Saturday, Sept. 15, Volusia County residents will help keep Sun Splash and six other area parks sparkling as they participate in The Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup.

Chad Truxall, director of education at the Marine Discovery Center, said residents like Mr. Kollar may not notice trash in the parks and on the beach, but the dunes and high tide areas tend to be hidden hotbeds.

“I can walk any beach and find thousands of cigarettes, pieces of plastic, everything imaginable,” he said. “We want to educate people to let them know that this is a problem.”

Last year’s cleanup produced more than 1,000 pounds of trash, Mr. Truxall said.

That amount could not have been collected without the help of the more than 500 volunteers who came out, said Stacey Bell, the county’s Sea Turtle Habitat conservation planning field manager.

“This is an easy way to help an important cause and, because we tally the trash we collect, it’s a great way to show progress,” she said.

When Ms. Bell worked at the Marine Science Center at Ponce Inlet, she saw firsthand the damage done to animals that eat or get trapped in the trash. Many people don’t realize that with storm water runoff, litter away from the beach often ends up in the ocean, she said.

“It’s a really horrible death for a dolphin or manatee trapped underwater,” Ms. Bell added.

Those who volunteer receive all the necessary supplies for trash removal, and T-shirts and bottled water are provided on a first-come, first-served basis.

For fourth-year volunteer Heidi Cambata, helping out is about showing “this is something people can do every day.”

“Just look at our backyard; it’s so beautiful,” said Ms. Cambata, whose 16-year-old son also does cleanups now. “Keeping it that way is a no-brainer.”

Volunteers are encouraged to sign up before Sept. 15, though anyone who shows up that day is welcome to help. The cleanup is great for families, corporations, scout troops and others that want to spend time together and simultaneously help a worthy cause, Ms. Bell said.

A post-cleanup celebration will be held at the Marine Discovery Center in New Smyrna Beach. Awards will be presented to the oldest and youngest volunteers, those who collected the most trash and the person with the strangest trash pickup.