Bay City Tribune

After a record summer for beach traffic in Matagorda County, 23rd Annual Texas Adopt-a-Beach Fall Cleanup volunteers should find plenty to keep them busy as they spend Saturday morning, Sept. 26, combing Sargent and Matagorda beaches for litter.

The Matagorda beach clean up will take place from 9 a.m. until noon at Matagorda's Jetty Park.

Participants should arrive at 8 a.m. to register and obtain their beach clean-up materials.

The Sargent beach clean up volunteers will meet at 9 a.m. at the park just past the Sargent swing bridge.

Volunteers will load up for a hayride onto the beach where they will spend about two hours walking the beach and enjoying the day while they pick up litter left over from summer vacationers, said Lamar Brown, Adopt-a-Beach coordinator at Sargent.

Following the cleanup, at 11:30 a.m., Sargent's Bam Bam Jamboree committee will provide lunches and a souvenir cap for the participants.

The Matagorda beach orientation starts at 9 a.m. at Jetty Park and participants are encouraged to arrive early to register.

Lunch, sponsored by the Lower Colorado River Authority, will be served at noon.

Soft drinks and bottled water, provided by Stanley's Grocery Store and Riverbend Restaurant, will be available for participants as they walk the beach all morning.

Matagorda beach cleaners will also have an opportunity to take home a door prize, sponsored by OXEA.

Volunteers will receive community service tickets, a souvenir beach bag and an Adopt-a-Beach patch.

The cleanup will go on, rain or shine, unless it is lightening, at both beaches.

According to Peggy Stanley, Matagorda's Adopt-a-Beach coordinator, 204,071 volunteers have removed 3,860,201-pounds of debris from Houston area beaches since the cleanups began in 1986.

All volunteers will be provided with garbage bags and rubber gloves.

The participants are encouraged to bring sunscreen, closed-tow shoes and hats.

Since cleanups began 204, 071 volunteers have removed 3,860,201 pounds of debris.