Despite hesitant rainy weather, cold breezes and gloomy skies, 23 students from different campus clubs joined together Saturday afternoon to “Heal the Bay” at Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro.

“This is an El Camino event. We contacted Heal the Bay and they gave us the proper meausures to go about cleaning this beach,” Alex Calderon, Inter-Club Council president, said. “So, any organization that wants to do this can contact Heal the Bay.”

Heal the Bay is a nonprofit environmental group working for the benefit of Santa Monica Bay and Southern California.

“This is not the first time El Camino has done beach clean ups, but this is the first time for ICC,” Calderon said. “I would like to make a proposal, and that is to implement that this event takes place once or twice a semester.

Clubs participating included Chorale Club, Latino Organization for Minority Advancement (LOMA), Cinema Arts, students from the Honors Transfer Program, Circle K, Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) and members from the Inter-Club Council.

“Cleaning up this part of the beach has made me realize that more beaches need to be cleaned,” English major and LOMA member Camille Solis said. “This event has given me a different perspective on how I see beaches.”

In groups of two or three, these beach-healers walked the short-distant Cabrillo Beach shoreline socializing, and having a good time without forgetting their goal, which was to pick up as much trash they could.

At times though, it became tedious since there were small pieces of trash that could have been missed.

“I am now aware how many L.A. County beaches are polluted and dirty,” Jun Aglipay, nursing major and Chorale Club president, said.

“By having these clean ups we can be sure that we are making a difference to our beaches,” Aglipay said.

Most of the beaches in the L.A. County are often polluted and are unsafe to swim in; these beaches need immediate attention so that they can prosper.

“Cabrillo Beach received an F grading for L.A. County beaches,” Calderon said. “Hopefully, this event will grow and not just for students who are in clubs, but for students in general.”

Students collected a bundle of cigarette butts, paper, glass, dead sea animals, styrofoam, needles and plastic, an item that is especially harmful to sea life.

With a large turnout students, they worked together as a group that made the day worthwhile as they made a difference at a small beach.

“This isn’t just to show that your club is active, Aglipay said. “It shows that you care about the environment.”