Surfrider San Diego, a foundation dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of our world's ocean, waves, and beaches, for all people, through a powerful activist network, featured TurnOut in their News post “'Coming Out' to Protect & Enjoy” By Gabriel Racca on 10/28/24.

Read a copy of the article below:

Surfrider San Diego's 1st Annual Beach Cleanup & National Coming Out Day Celebration

To Protect

Surfrider San Diego’s Beach Cleanup Program is dedicated to preserving our region's beautiful coastlines and waterways through community-driven events. Aiming to reduce pollution and raise awareness, the program hosts approximately 10,000 San Diegans and visitors annually, inviting volunteers from all walks of life to join cleanups across the county. For many participants, a beach cleanup is their first introduction to Surfrider’s work and a meaningful step toward ocean conservation, sparking a journey of ocean advocacy and stewardship.

But Surfrider’s cleanups offer more than just a way to protect our beaches—they create a welcoming space for all people to enjoy and celebrate our natural surroundings together. These gatherings are about building a community where everyone feels a sense of belonging, including honoring diversity in our coastal community.

To Enjoy

In this spirit of inclusivity and celebration of diversity along our coasts, Surfrider San Diego and Volunteer with Cheli – together with Gay For Good San Diego, San Diego Pride, Kiwanis Hillcrest All-Inclusive, TurnOUT, and the San Diego LGBT Community Center, – led a special beach cleanup at Ocean Beach on October 5th in honor of National Coming Out Day, observed on October 11, to support anyone ''coming out.''

This inaugural cleanup welcomed over 200 volunteers who came together not only to protect our county’s shores but to celebrate empowerment, visibility, and a sense of belonging for LGBTQIA+ individuals. Volunteers started the morning with coffee donated by Bird Rock Coffee and an assortment of pastries, followed by a fun round of social bingo. The game encouraged participants to connect and learn about one another while potentially winning some waste-free prizes.

After celebrating and making new friends, the group got to work removing trash from the sand, parks, and neighborhood. The monthly public beach cleanups in OB are one of the longest-standing and most popular for the Chapter. With over 2,200 volunteers and 4,770 pounds of trash collected across 24 cleanups in 2023, OB accounted for over 20% of all volunteer engagement and 37% of total trash removed countywide. The cleanup on October 5th was no different in this sense; with 235 pounds of trash removed by 206 volunteers.

The event highlighted the power of community in both protecting our coastal environment and fostering inclusivity. By bringing people together to celebrate National Coming Out Day, Surfrider San Diego and its partners showed that protecting our natural spaces goes hand-in-hand with creating safe, welcoming environments for all.

Thank You Volunteer with Cheli

Surfrider San Diego would like to thank Volunteer with Cheli for co-leading this event with the Chapter and for bringing together many of the organizations serving and empowering the LGBTQIA+ community in our County for the first of many of these collaborations. The Chapter is honored and thankful to be a part of this effort and looks forward to this ongoing partnership.

About the Beach Cleanup Program

Each cleanup helps remove litter and provides critical data for Surfrider’s policy work on plastic reduction, and educates volunteers on the impact of marine debris on ocean health and local ecosystems. Through hands-on involvement, the program plays a vital role in protecting San Diego's coastlines and inspiring long-term environmental action, fostering a community of ocean-friendly advocates.

Check out the article on their website here.