Get the Trash out of the Splash Sept. 20th in Gulf Shores

Undoubtedly our greatest assets are the clean, sugar-white sandy beaches and turquoise-blue waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Beyond the beaches we have a multitude of lakes, creeks, bays, bayous, lagoons and rivers. Maintaining these waterways and beaches in pristine condition is a year-round commitment with one day in particular devoted to opportunities for volunteers to join in this effort.

The nationwide Coastal Clean-up is scheduled for Saturday morning, September 20th from 8 am til noon and Alabama's portion will take place along the shores of the Gulf in Fort Morgan, Gulf Shores and Orange Beach as well as inland waterways. Over the course of 26 years that the State of Alabama has participated in this event nearly 72,000 volunteers have removed 70 tons of trash from the beach and waterways in the state according to the official Alabama Coastal Clean-up website.

I'm proud to be a volunteer along with my co-workers at Meyer Vacation Rentals and CENTURY 21 Meyer Real Estate as we spend one morning each year removing and documenting foreign objects from the beaches and waterways. Each year our group of Meyer volunteers meets on our designated area of the beach where we receive a t-shirt, documentation paperwork, garbage bags and gloves to begin scouring our stretch of paradise. After a few minutes of determining our strategy we quickly get underway not only removing the unwanted items but also documenting each item.

If you want to join us in the 27th Annual Get the Trash Out of the Splash endeavor on September 20th, we welcome your contribution to our efforts. Simply email April@GMStheBest.biz and let us know you wish to participate as we focus on maintaining the beauty of our amazing coast.

My tip for Coastal Cleanup attire is tennis shoes, lightweight clothing, sunscreen and a hat since the weather is warm and sunny in September. And my tip for spending a great weekend at the beach this fall is to use promo code 14FALL to receive a 25% discount on 3 nights in a condo or 4 nights in a beach house.

See you at the beach.