Paper or plastic?

How about both plus Styrofoam cups, cigarettes, bottles and other types of trash and recyclables picked up by kids and their families on August 5, when First 5 LA united with Heal the Bay for a Beach Cleanup event. Armed with First 5 LA-branded buckets, more than 100 families joined us in collecting hundreds of pounds of trash from Santa Monica Beach clearing the sands of a whopping 3,123 pieces of trash!

“Even though it was hot, families really enjoyed themselves.” -Violet Gonzalez

After the cleanup, participants received free entry to the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium for a Potter the Otter story time and musical program with Music Together’s Daniel Epstein. The first-ever event for First 5 LA made local newspaper headlines, garnered attention in the online Hispanos Press and was covered by NBC Channel 4.

Most importantly, the event provided summer fun and environmental education for many children and their families.

“Even though it was hot, families really enjoyed themselves,” said First 5 LA Marketing Strategies Manager Violet Gonzalez. “We’ll definitely do this next year.”

Take a look at some highlights in the video below!




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