SAN DIEGO — A collection of community volunteers, Port of San Diego staff and tenants, military members and Harbor Police staff joins forces yet again for the annual Operation Clean Up at San Diego Bay. The marine debris cleanup day is organized by the San Diego Port Tenants Association and will be held Saturday, Aug. 25.
Previous cleanup events have dug up discarded paper products, tires, shopping carts, toilets and even refrigerators. Volunteer divers once pulled a telephone booth from the 1970s out of the bay. Nearly 24,000 pounds of trash was collected at last year’s Operation Clean Sweep.
The public is invited to participate. Two of the cleanup sites are ideal for children: Marina View Park in Chula Vista (900 Marina Parkway, Chula Vista) and a site in the Barrio Logan neighborhood. Check in for the Barrio Logan site is at California Marine Cleaning, Inc. (2049 Main Street, San Diego). Both sites begin registration at 8 a.m.
Another cleanup site is at Chollas Creek. This area is only open to those 18 and up and participants must wear heavy-duty footwear. Check in begins at 7 a.m. at Pacific Ship Repair and Fabrication, 1625 Rigel Street, San Diego.
The check in and cleanup site for divers is at Humphrey’s Half Moon Marina, 2323 Shelter Island Drive, San Diego. Registration and cleanup begins at 8 a.m.
Free Krispy Kreme doughnuts will be available at each registration site, as well as Operation Clean Sweep t-shirts, gloves and trash bags.
All volunteers will be rewarded with an after party, which includes a catered lunch, beverages, raffle and family entertainment. The after party is from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Cesar Chavez Park (1449 Cesar E. Chavez Parkway, San Diego). There will be prizes for the most unusual trash, so participants are encouraged to bring their unique findings to the party. Participants must wear their Operation Clean Sweep t-shirt to gain entrance to the after party.
The San Diego Port Tenants Association, the Port of San Diego, Navy Region Southwest, the United States Coast Guard, San Diego Gas & Electric, Edco Waste & Recycling Services and dozens of Port tenant businesses sponsor operation Clean Sweep.
Port of San Diego photo
