Litter, Be Gone: East End Residents Join Forces For Beach Cleanup

SOUTHAMPTON, NY — More than 800 people turned out to help keep beaches, trails, parks, and roadways in Southampton clean.

The volunteers gathered recently to participate in the Great East End Clean-Up; the event was held in May rather than on Earth Day, as it usually is, due to the pandemic, organizers said.

During the event, volunteers picked up tons of garbage and metal from Eastport to Sagaponack, officials added.

Southampton Town Councilman Rick Martel stopped by various clean-ups from Eastport to Sag Harbor and joined groups such as the Eastport Green Project, the Bridgehampton Presbyterian Church, and Phoenix House of Wainscott, town officials said.

Sag Harbor resident Deb McEneaney, an elder at Bridgehampton Presbyterian Church, joined volunteers from the Phoenix House in Wainscott, Bridgehampton Presbyterian Church, and the Bridgehampton Child Care and Recreational Center. She said that their group noticed they'd found less litter than in previous years but it was a beautiful day to be at the beach.

“It was great to see many residents of all ages volunteering to keep our beautiful town clean,” Martel said. “When I left Long Beach, the beach was the cleanest I have seen."