THE 30-MINUTE BEACH CLEANUP MEETS on the third Saturday of each month at 9:30 a.m. and 10 a.m. at 1 S. Granada Ave. (@ Ocean Blvd., Long Beach, 90803) in Belmont Shore, to help rid the beach of trash and debris. All ages welcome. Free trash bags, gloves, volunteer credit forms and refreshments.
State Group Honors Local Activist For Beach Cleanups By Amy Bentley-Smith, Grunion Gazette
At a city-sponsored meeting on litter abatement, attendees were asked to come up with a headline about litter they one day wished to see. Community activist Justin Rudd's headline read: "Monthly Beach Cleanup Canceled -- No trash." "That's my dream," he said.
For almost 24 years, Rudd has organized a monthly cleanup of the beach around Granada Avenue. The result has been thousands of bags of debris removed from the area and thousands of people mobilizing to help.
RUDD'S EFFORTS HAVE NOT GONE UNNOTICED.
Keep California Beautiful, a nonprofit, state-sanctioned environmental steward program, bestowed on Rudd its Hal Albertson Volunteer of the Year award for his efforts with 30-Minute Beach Cleanup.
"There are a lot of people who go out once or twice a year to clean up our beaches and that's great. I don't know what we would do without them," Keep California Beautiful Executive Director Marlene Mariani said. "But Justin has taken it the extra mile."
SOON AFTER RUDD moved to Long Beach from his home state of Alabama, he began noticing the sad state of the city's beaches and wanted to do something about it. A personal trainer who offered workouts on the beach, Rudd one day asked everyone to help him clean up.
"I told everyone, why don't we stay and clean up? We use this beach why don't we be good stewards?" Rudd recalled. "There were maybe 10 people. Then I said we should do this every month."
WANTING TO MAKE IT EASY for people to attend, Rudd decided to keep the cleanups short -- only a half an hour. He asked his friends to bring people they knew and put up fliers around town. He also asked the city to donate bags and gloves and businesses to donate refreshments.
"What works for us in this 30-minute beach cleanup is the partnerships that have come through," Rudd said. "Justin Rudd isn't the only one out there cleaning the beach. It's 100 people out there. Unless you have partnerships, it's not going to be successful."
Rudd is excited about the being named volunteer of the year, but is humble about it.
"It's truly an honor," he said. "California has got to be the most environmentally friendly state in the country and to be chosen for a statewide honor, that's pretty cool."
KEEP CALIFORNIA BEAUTIFUL aims to create a litter-free California by encouraging business, government and public partnerships in cleanups and other beautification efforts.
It was the administrators of Long Beach Beautiful, the city's Environmental Services Bureau, who nominated Rudd's 30-Minute Beach Cleanup for an award. Rather than recognizing the program, KCB decided to recognize its founder.
"We just thought what a great idea, a 30-minute beach cleanup, anyone can do that," Mariani said. "It's fantastic that he thought that up. It speaks to how committed he is."
She said KCB officials were so impressed by the lengths Rudd has gone to get people involved, such as a volunteer database with more than 2,440 e-mail addresses, which Rudd uses to send out notices, the program's web site, www.beach-
cleanup.org, and his extensive public relations campaign.
"It's just on and on and on. It's just truly amazing that someone would care that much to do that for the community," Mariani said. "Long Beach is very lucky to have him."
RUDD WILL BE THE FIRST KCB volunteer of the year recipient under the award's new name. Mariani said Hal Albertson had organized highway and
roadway cleanup in Placer County for nearly 20 years. He passed away in late 2004.
"In recognition of him and all he did, we thought it would be nice to name the volunteer of the year award after him," Mariani said, adding that the
selection of Rudd this year was apropos. "It seems that Justin Rudd was cut out of the same mold as Hal. It's nice to see a young man really committed to cleaning up his neighborhood."
For more information, visit www.keepcalifornia-
beautiful.com
g TAX-DEDUCTIBLE GIFT
Please Support Beach Cleanups in Long Beach
RIGHT NOW, while the need is in your mind, won't you please donate?
WE HOPE YOU share our love for animals, kids and the environment, and our wish is that you'll consider a gift of $25, $50, $100 or another amount so that we can continue to bring you clean and safe beaches.
CHECKS to BEACH CLEANUP, Attn. Justin Rudd, 3040 E. First Street, Long Beach, CA 90803.
501c3/Fed. Tax ID# is 05-0545777
THE MAIN PURPOSE of the Community Action Team (CAT) is to promote social well-being among the general public. As a 501c3 nonprofit corporation governed by a board of directors, contributions to CAT are tax deductible and are used to help produce quality events within our community that benefit children, animals, and the environment.
I AM A FIRM believer in the collective power of individuals joined in a spirit of goodwill and generous giving to bring about the success of a
community.
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Justin Rudd!
Your Group of 25 or More Can Co-Sponsor an Upcoming Cleanup
Justin Rudd is looking for schools, businesses, and places of worship to be co-hosts of one of the upcoming monthly cleanups. Two groups of 25 or more are welcome! For example: March 18: Stanford Middle School School Day and Westerly School Day
April
15: Long Beach Meditation Day
May 20: Daisy Troop #4404 Day
June 17: Association of Corporate Counsel Southern California Day
July 15: Long Beach Meditation Day and Being the Church Day
August19: Troop 134 Day
Sept. 16: Co-sponsor(s) needed
Oct. 21: Long Beach Meditation Day
Could your group of 25 or more commit to a month's cleanup (we allow two groups to sponsor on the same day)?
You would promote within your school/business and help to bring 25 or more volunteers to add to the 150 monthly visitors we already have at the cleanups. Just let Justin@JustinRudd.com know which month you want. We will provide bags, gloves, door prizes, refreshments and free beachfront parking.
Established June 1999. Third Sat. of every month, rain or shine.
The Next Cleanup
Sat., March 18. Arrive just before 9:30 (for super volunteers!) or 10 a.m. to start. We'll provide bags, gloves, beachfront parking (kiosk code is JUS0318), and a soda/water (thanks Duthie Power Services and ice from Andrew Palmer). Register now:
NEXT CLEANUP: RAIN OR SHINE: Third Sat. of every month, 9:30 a.m. and 10 a.m. Bags and gloves will be available at the sign-in tables.
REFRESHMENTS: by Duthie Power Services (sodas and water), Andrew Palmer (ice).
2022-23 CLEANUP SPONSORS: Duthie Power Services, Andrew Palmer, Spas for Paws, and Port of Long Beach.
FREE PARKING
Use the parking kiosk code (starts with a "JR") at the top of this column and park in the beachfront lot for free while you are at the cleanup.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: Third Sat. of each month, 10 a.m., 1 Granada Ave., 90803. All ages and all groups sizes are welcome. MAP
FREE STREET PARKING, or use the monthly code posted above to park in the beachfront lot.. MAP
ABOUT THE CLEANUP
Groups and individuals of all ages are invited to participate and support this monthly environmental clean-up effort. Additionally, students will receive a one-hour volunteer service credit for their participation if they arrive at 9:30 a.m., and Scouts can receive credit toward merit badges. Also, any person in need of completing community service is invited to help out and receive service credit.
On-site refreshments provided by Duthie Power Services!
MORE
The 30-Minute Beach Cleanups are held rain or shine on the third Saturday of each month at 10 a.m. at 1 Granada Ave. since June 1999. At the cleanups, organizers provide free giveaways, trash bags, gloves, refreshments from Duthie Power Services, and volunteer service verification forms. An average of approx. 150 volunteers participate each month, and all ages and all sizes of groups are welcome. No RSVP is needed.
Dogs are welcome off-leash at Rosie's Dog Beach during the cleanup.
The 30-Minute Beach Cleanup seeks to create a clean and safe place for residents, visitors and aquatic wildlife along the Long Beach coast. During the effort, volunteers progress toward the Belmont Pier and the Peninsula. Volunteers are asked to wear shoes and sunscreen. No reservation is necessary, and large and small groups are welcome. Bags and gloves are provided. Students will receive volunteer recognition forms so they can report service hours.
The 30-Minute Beach Cleanup which began in June of 1999 is organized by Justin Rudd and his 501c3 nonprofit Community Action Team (CAT).
WIN DOOR PRIZES
Be sure to be signed-in by 10 a.m. sharp to get a chance at some great door prizes each month provided by Spas for Paws. The drawings are held approx. 10:35, after the cleanup.
FOR STUDENT CREDIT
Be signed-in at 9:30 a.m. sharp. We will sign your volunteer form or we'll provide a form for you at the end of the cleanup.
NOTE: DO NOT PICK UP SHARP OBJECTS FROM THE BEACH
Sign up for our Email Newsletter
g e-NEWSLETTER Free Beach Cleanup Reminders by e-Mail GET REMINDED
about upcoming beach cleanups in the Greater Long Beach area. Justin Rudd will send you a reminder just before each monthly 30-Minute Beach Cleanup. CLICK HERE to subscribe. More than 3,900 subscribers!
TAKE ACTION NOW E-
mail City Officials About Beach Trash
LET YOUR VOICE be heard now. CLICK HERE to e-mail Long Beach officials about your beach concerns that might include the amount of trash on our beaches. Also, write letters to the editor. Keep the issue alive in the media by using this easy, free channel to educate the community!
PLEASE HELP Volunteer This Month. Groups and Individuals Needed
VOLUNTEERS of all ages have been combing the sands for debris for many months and there is still lots of trash to be removed. The debris fouls the sands and endangers aquatic wildlife," says Justin Rudd, grassroots founder/organizer of the 30-Minute Beach Cleanup. "We are looking for families, students, individuals and organizations to come out and support the effort to help make Long Beach's beaches clean and beautiful."
Messy Problem in Long Beach
LONG BEACH HAS a perpetual problem with debris on its beach. The Los Angeles River empties near downtown in a curving pattern so that junk washed downstream tends to collect inside the breakwater and drift back up on shore. At the south end of town is the San Gabriel River, which probably carries less trash but what trash there is also gets pushed back to shore by south swells slipping past the breakwater. After a storm, the beaches collect literally tons of debris. It takes bulldozers and dump trucks to pile it up and haul it away. The city is faithful at cleanup but patience is wearing thin, and officials have studied more than a few proposals to stem the flow of flotsam and jetsam from the messy metropolis upstream. --Los Angeles Times
International Coastal Cleanup, based in Washington, has organized annual worldwide beach cleanups since 1986; this year's was on Sept. 18. Its volunteers work in teams, with one logging each type of trash. On its 2003 "entangling debris" list, balloon strings and ribbons accounted for 8 percent of the animals strangled. That is far behind fishing line and nets, which accounted for 60 percent, but at least fishing equipment has an excuse for being in the ocean and is not released just for fun.
By contrast, balloons are not a problem in Long Beach, Calif., said Justin Rudd, who directs monthly volunteer cleanups of four miles of beach there. That is not surprising, since the prevailing winds are from the west. "Styrofoam is the big culprit," Mr. Rudd said, along with fast-food packaging and plastic water bottles. The Los Angeles and San Gabriel Rivers end in Long Beach, and his problem is gutter runoff from 87 towns upstream. "Right after a rainstorm, it's gross around here," he said. ---NY Times
FOUNDED IN JUNE, 1999
A Grassroots Effort g Who's Behind this Environmental Initiative?
JUSTIN RUDD, 54-year-old Bluff Park resident, is the grassroots organizer of the monthly 30-Minute Beach Cleanup. "The beach should be a place to go to experience Mother Nature's beauty, not LA's trash," says Rudd, who moved to Long Beach in 1997. Since the inception of the 30-Minute Beach Cleanup in June 1999, Rudd has organized more than 30,000 participants who have collected thousands of bags of debris, including glass, Styrofoam, various packaging materials and thousands of cigarette butts.
RUDD WAS the recipient of Keep California Beautiful's 2004 "Environmental Volunteer of the Year" award. He has also been honored by the City of Long Beach; the Long Beach City Council; Surfrider Foundation; Long Beach Dept. of Parks, Recreation & Marine; the California Junior Chamber of Commerce; and twice by The Aquarium of the Pacific for his leadership with the 30-Minute Beach Cleanup. "I want the sand to be clean and safe, and getting our city's people involved will make it happen," says Rudd.
Solutions to Our Dirty Problem g Reasons for this cleanup's continued success
Long Beach will be a community of neighborhoods focused on youth and education, with safety and economic opportunity for all, and a responsive, accountable government, in a healthy, green environment. ---Long Beach Strategic Plan 2010
Long Beach is California’s fifth largest city and one of the leading regions for business, tourism and community in the west. Because it is a shoreline city, Long Beach also has a perpetual problem – debris on its beaches.
NEAR DOWNTOWN, the Los Angeles River empties trash generated by upstream communities, which collects inside the breakwater and then drifts on shore. The San Gabriel River empties on the south end of the City, carrying trash that also drifts on shore. Rainstorms exacerbate this problem, sometimes dumping tons of debris on Long Beach beaches.
The Long Beach Parks, Recreation and Marine Department is responsible for maintaining a clean and healthy shoreline. The Department provides daily litter and debris abatement (mechanized sand raking) for each of the City’s beaches. This sand raking is effective in removing large items of debris, but smaller items and pieces of trash (e.g. beverage containers, plastic cups and bottle caps, plastic and paper bags, cigarette butts) remain.
Since 1999, the City of Long Beach has been the beneficiary of an extraordinary grassroots effort to educate and enable residents to become environmental stewards of its beaches. Justin Rudd, a Belmont Shore resident and grassroots organizer, is the driving force behind this successful environmental initiative.
In June 1999, Justin created the 30-Minute Beach Cleanup. To date, he has organized more than 250 beach cleanups, and coordinated more than 20,000 volunteers who have collected thousands of bags of debris, including glass, plastic, Styrofoam, packaging materials and countless cigarette butts.
Volunteers of all ages (individuals, families, students and organizations) have participated in the beach cleanups -- a dedicated and remarkable effort to help make the City’s beaches clean, beautiful and safe for residents, visitors, and marine animals, too! After five successful years, the 30-Minute Beach Cleanup stands as a role model for community involvement and improvement.
Execution of Program
Beach cleanups are scheduled for the third Saturday of every month (rain or shine), after major holidays, and after large rainstorms. Outreach and promotion for the cleanups are conducted through the following:
Web site postings on www.beachcleanup.org Monthly Beach Cleanup e-Newsletter (more than 3,940 subscribers) Monthly print ads in the local Gazette newspapers
Volunteers are provided with bags, gloves, and there are a limited number of free parking passes. Every month, refreshments are provided by Duthie Power Services and other corporate sponsors, and door prizes are donated by Long Beach businesses.
Integral elements that contribute to the success of the 30-Minute Beach Cleanup:
Consistent scheduling of cleanups (Third Saturday of every month, 10 a.m.)
Consistent location (1 Granada Ave.)
Consistent message (Keep our beaches safe and clean)
Consistent offering of incentives for volunteers (T-shirts, prizes, email follow-up, e-Newsletter)
Consistent networking with Long Beach Unified School District; local community, service and church organizations; local businesses; local media
Informative, fun and brief (30 minute) cleanups
Justin Rudd is a very accomplished grassroots organizer. He has created a community-based program that provides a much-needed service (beach cleanups and fostering environmental stewardship for the City’s residents). He has built and maintained solid partnerships with the City of Long Beach (City Council and City departments), local businesses, the Long Beach Unified School District, local colleges and universities, and local environmental, community service and church organizations.
Budget, Impact and Community Involvement
The 30-Minute Beach Cleanup is a “no cost” program. All personnel are volunteers (including Justin Rudd ), and all volunteer supplies (bags and gloves) are provided free-of-charge by the City of Long Beach, Corner Bakery, and other sponsors. All volunteer incentives (T-shirts, refreshments and door prizes) are donated by local businesses, and the City of Long Beach provides free parking passes for all volunteers.
Print ad space in the community newspapers is donated (Gazette newspapers providing public service announcements).
OUR PARTNERS 4City of Long Beach 4Duthie Power Services 4Corner Bakery 4Gazette Newspapers 4The Surfrider Foundation 4Spas for Paws 4Dogfellaz 4Sound House Church 4California Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation
Results and Sustainability Well-established and respected in Long Beach , the 30-Minute Beach Cleanup is reliable (rain or shine) and effective. Since its inception, the program has provided more than 20,000 volunteers an opportunity to accomplish the following: Become environmental stewards
Improve the safety, health and beauty of Long Beach beaches
Protect the health and safety of marine life on and off Long Beach shores
Justin Rudd is a firm believer in the collective power of concerned and aware individuals. His commitment and tireless efforts have created an important complement to the City’s maintenance of its beaches. As all California cities are grappling with the challenges of budget shortfalls, the 30-Minute Beach Cleanup offers a unique community improvement model that can be developed and sustained with minimal financial impact.
Next on the horizon for the 30-Minute Beach Cleanup? A campaign partnering with regional organizations to create awareness of inland watershed issues and the importance of stopping litter before it gets into the Los Angeles and San Gabriel Rivers.
$500 Haute Dogs Poetry Contest is March 17, 2018
$500 up for grabs - that's up to five $20 winners! This is the 5th year for the contest that will take place at Rosie's Dog Beach on Saturday, May 19 at 10:45 a.m. right after the beach cleanup and mustache contest. Hosted by Justin Rudd's Haute Dogs and 30-Minute Beach Cleanup.
RULES & GUIDELINES:
- every entrant will receive food/water dishes donated by ORE Originals; top-five will receive cash (details below)
- poetry does not have to be memorized; feel free to read your poems
- poems must be two minutes or less
- no props; dogs welcome
- all ages welcome to enter, entry is free
- poetry must be original and dog-themed
- microphone provided
- bring a printed copy of your poem
- max. two poems per entrant
- sign-up at the event
The poetry contest starts about 10:45 a.m. at the orange cones of Rosie's Dog Beach, closest to the Granada Boat Launch Ramp. Dogs are welcome at the monthly beach cleanups within the orange-coned area.
POETRY PRIZE MONEY
Five winners will get $50 cash, but prize money doubles for each poet signed-in by 10 a.m., sharp, on the concrete boat launch ramp at 1 Granada Ave. and who helps clean the beach for 30 minutes. There will be five $50 prizes, and if winners are signed-in and help with the cleanup as outlined, they will get $100 each. Beachfront parking at 1 Granada Ave. is free (starting at 9:35 a.m.) for beach cleanup volunteers (and refreshments and door prizes are provided for them).
HALLOWEEN COSTUME CONTEST for kid, teen and adult volunteers on the boat launch ramp at 1 Granada Ave. following the 30-Minute Beach Cleanup on Sat., Oct. 15. Contest begins about 10:35 a.m. Cash prizes will be awarded. Be signed in by 10 a.m.
LONG BEACH POLAR SPLASH is Saturday, Jan. 20, 2018, 10:40 a.m. at 1 Granada Ave. right after the 30-Minute Beach Cleanup. Will you join us when we jump into the chilly Pacific?
All ages/genders welcome. Free to enter and spectate. Prize money courtesy of the Long Beach Turkey Trot.
Oh, say, can you sing?!
Small groups and soloists welcome. All must sing a cappella. Free entry. Microphone provided.
National Anthem Singing Contest at 22-Year Anniv. of the 30-Minute Beach Cleanup on Sat., June 19
Cleanup at 10 a.m. Contest at 10:35 a.m. 1 Granada Ave., Small ensembles and individuals welcome. All ages. All must sing a cappella. Free entry. Microphone provided. All contestants will sing the last few bars of the song: Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?
Then, a few finalists will be asked to sing the entire first verse of the song. Please have the words memorized. If you can enter, please RSVP to Justin@JustinRudd.com. Pre-registration is not required.
Winner will get a $1,000 appearance contract to sing at about 30 upcoming Long Beach events: Winner will accrue up to $50 for each performance at a Justin Rudd/CAT event. An individual winner will accrue $35 for each performance (including the monthly beach cleanups), up to $1,000; and a group will accrue $50 for each performance, up to $1,000. Winner(s) is not required to sing at all events. See all CAT events at www.JustinRudd.com/cat.html.
SoCal Mustache & Beard Championship at the Nov. 20 Beach Cleanup. Cash prizes!
THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA MUSTACHE & BEARD CHAMPIONSHIP will award $20 cash prizes following the beach cleanup on Saturday, Nov. 20. Free to enter. We do want contestants to take part in the 30-Minute Beach Cleanup from 10-10:30 a.m.
We will offer a few $20 bills to the best beards and mustaches at our contest this Sat. Cleanup at 10 a.m. and contest begins about 10:35 a.m. Parking kiosk for cleanup volunteers is JR1120.
Got a handlebar? A cactus? A ringmaster? Or, is it a pencil line, a Fu Manchu, a tooth brusher or a wooly mammoth? Whatever you’ve got, wax it up and come on down! It’s going to get pretty hairy at this mustache bash!
Stay for the Long Beach Polar Splash after the beach cleanup on Jan. 15?
Let's symbollically welcome the new year by washing off 2021. With 64 degrees under cloudy skies and 57-degree water, about 100 will brave the Long Beach Polar Splash in Jan. following the 30-Minute Beach Cleanup. The cleanup and Polar Splash will be near 1 Granada Ave., next to Rosie's Dog Beach. Justin Rudd's nonprofit Community Action Team (CAT) will be donating $5 to various area charities/schools/clubs (pre-registered groups of 20 or more) for every person that participates in the 10 a.m. cleanup and then plunges into the Pacific at 10:40 a.m., up to $2,000.
Basically, on the word "go" from the organizers, the group of people will scamper into the water to submerse themselves, and then make a quick retreat.
The whole process happens within minutes or seconds. Bring your cameras to document the fun, and post your photos on social media.
Enter the "Roses Are Red..." poetry contest following the "30-Minute Beach Cleanup" Sat., Feb. 19, 2022
To participate in the cleanup and poetry contest, arrive 9:30 - 10 a.m. to clean the beach, then stay for the contest.
RULES
- there is no pre-registration
- poetry does not have to be memorized
- max. two poems per entrant
- poems must be one minute or less
- no props
- all ages welcome to enter
-
entry is free
- poetry must be original and start with the words "Roses are Red..."
- microphone provided
- bring a printed copy of your poem
- sign-up at the event
- Age and grade level (if any) will be taken into consideration by judges.
-
Awards include $20 bills.
- more about the beach cleanup before the poetry contest: BeachCleanup.org
Enter the Haute Dog Poetry Contest following the "30-Minute Beach Cleanup" March 19
To participate in the monthly 30-Minute Beach Cleanup and the Haute Dog Poetry Contest, arrive 9:35 - 10 a.m. Cash prizes!
RULES
- poetry does not have to be memorized
- max. two poems per entrant
- poems must be one minute or less
- no props; dogs welcome
- all ages welcome to enter, entry is free
- poetry must be original and dog-themed
- microphone provided
- bring a printed copy of your poem
- sign-up at the event
- more about the beach cleanup before the poetry contest: BeachCleanup.org
LET YOUR VOICE be heard now. CLICK HERE to e-mail Long Beach officials about your beach concerns that might include the amount of trash on our beaches. Also, write letters to the editor. Keep the issue alive in the media by using this easy, free channel to educate the community! 
WHEN ARE CLEANUPS HELD?
Sign up for our Email Newsletter
Long Beach is California’s fifth largest city and one of the leading regions for business, tourism and community in the west. Because it is a shoreline city, Long Beach also has a perpetual problem – debris on its beaches. 
HALLOWEEN COSTUME CONTEST
To participate in the monthly 30-Minute Beach Cleanup and the Haute Dog Poetry Contest, arrive 9:35 - 10 a.m. Cash prizes!
