WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH, NC (WWAY) — While many local towns held their 4th fo July festivities, people also took to the beach to celebrate.
Dozens of boats anchored offshore and along the beaches of Masonboro Island as hundreds of people enjoyed the warm waters.
For many people, like Courtney Wanner, spending the day on the island has become an annual tradition.
”Just coming out here and sitting in back and just enjoying watching all of our friends, family, kids running around,” Wanner said. “I mean, obviously, in college, it was kid-free but now a lot of it is a place that I can bring my family to continue making memories with them.”
While hundreds enjoyed the beaches, one group was there to make sure the island stayed free of trash.
Over 60 volunteers from Masonboro.org came out to the island to hand out trash bags and pick up any trash left behind.
The organization was started by a group of boaters after a large party in 2007 left trash strewn across the beach.
Tom Hackler is the organization’s president. He said the group does more than just clean up after people.
We take care of the island, we promote responsible use of the island,” Hackler said. “We’re trying to protect access to the island. And, uh, we just come over and pass out trash bags and we talk to youth. It’s really more about being involved in the community.”
While some of the volunteers were new to the group this year, others like Paul Mazzola have been helping out for years.
Mazzola said there had been a chance the island would be closed to visitors due to the trash problem.
”Well, I am a long-term boater, and had been coming to the island for years and just wanted to make sure the island stayed open to recreational use throughout the year,” Mazzola said. “There was a threat, as Tom said, about the island closing down, even year around, not only 4th of July, but year around. So we just decided to help join that to make sure the island stayed open.”
This is the 15th year Masonboro.org has held its 4th of July clean-up event.