Clean Beaches a Slam Dunk With L.A. Lakers

Spring has sprung. And for Heal the Bay staffers, that means the beginning of a busy Earth Month 2013.

We kicked off the festivities Saturday afternoon with a special cleanup with the Los Angeles Lakers at Dockweiler Beach. Nearly 100 fans helped remove 66 pounds of ocean-bound debris from the sand and nearby dunes, including a rusted-out shovel and lots of plastic bottle caps.

Laker players Darius Morris and Robert Sacre hustled to Dockweiler following afternoon practice to lend a hand. Even after a long workout, the gracious duo wore big smiles and asked a lot of questions as they marched up and down the sand, blue Heal the Bay buckets in hand.

Morris, a native of nearby Hawthorne, did make one unfortunate discovery. He stumbled upon the carcass of a sea lion pup that had washed ashore, a victim of the wave of unfortunate strandings that has hit Southern California beaches.

Afterward, the players helped out with our raffle, then patiently posed for photos and signed autographs with fans, staff members from sponsor East West Bank and the Heal the Bay crew.

Over the years, we’ve been fortunate to participate in a number of community events with the city’s professional sports teams, including baseball’s Los Angeles Dodgers, hockey’s Los Angeles Kings and soccer’s Chivas USA.

On April 22, we will be hosting another cleanup with the LA Kings and will be recognized during the game the night before. On April 12 and 13, we also will be participating in an eco-awareness outreach event before Kings and Lakers games at Staples Center and LA Live.

If you can’t make it to any of the games, there are dozens of other Earth Month opportunities with Heal the Bay this April.

Please consider volunteering or becoming a member today.