[caption id="attachment_24988" align="alignright" width="208"]<a href="http://www.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/DSC00531.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-24988" src="http://www.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/DSC00531-208x300.jpg" alt="Lee Scott of the Dataw Island Garden Club begins her contribution to the Sweep near the Hunting Island Lagoon by picking trash." width="208" height="300" /></a> Lee Scott of the Dataw Island Garden Club begins her contribution to the Sweep near the Hunting Island Lagoon by picking trash.[/caption]

<em>Photo above: Lisa Holden, left, and friend Anne Bongiovanni had no trouble finding trash in the sand dunes. Photo by Bob Sofaly.</em>

The Friends of Hunting Island, in co-ordination with the S.C Sea Grant Consortium and the S.C. Department of Natural Resources, held the 2015 Fall Beach Sweep on Saturday at Hunting Island State Park. More than a hundred people, including the Dataw Island Garden Club and contingent of JROTC cadets from Hampton County, volunteered to remove trash, fishing line, cups and even a discarded crab trap from the beach, Russ Point and from along Rt. 21.

Volunteer Lee Scott remarked, “It meant a lot to the Friends of Hunting Island to see so many groups out helping this past Saturday. Teenagers, parents with small children and clubs like the Dataw Island Garden Club which was organized by Ginny Hall- Apicella were all out in force. Although there was a light rain, it didn’t stop the volunteers from picking up lots of trash throughout the park. Our group was assigned to the Lagoon area and we were amazed at the things left behind. Armed with gloves, garbage bags and pick-up tools we scooped up food wrappers, empty beer bottles and a variety of beach items like flip flops and broken umbrellas. After disposing of the huge amounts of garbage, we were rewarded with lunch hosted by the Lowcountry Rotary and desserts brought in by volunteers. Of course, all the trash generated by this barbecue was disposed of responsibly!”

[gallery columns="4" ids="24994,24992,24990,24993"]

<em>From left: Linda Pienik, left, and Kathryn Madden gets plastic bags, gloves and "grabbers" together for volunteers to use; John Bongiovanni picks up trash that had blown over the sand dunes near the light house Saturday morning; Bobbi Weber, left, and Lee Scott of the Dataw Island Garden Club teamed up near the Hunting Island Lagoon to pick trash; Jane Ann Litton, seated at left, signs in volunteers while Kathryn Madden figures out where they are need the most. Photos by Bob Sofaly.</em>