SEBASTIAN — Employees from two Orlando Health hospitals spent Saturday morning picking up litter on local beaches as part of the 41st International Coastal Cleanup.
Fifty-seven staff members from Orlando Health Melbourne Hospital and Orlando Health Sebastian River Hospital collected 216 pounds of trash Sept. 19. The Melbourne group gathered 110 pounds at Paradise Beach. The Sebastian River Hospital team collected 106 pounds at Day Use Beach in Vero Beach. Combined, they logged 142 volunteer hours.
Workers from nursing, imaging services, physical therapy, sterile processing, leadership and other departments took part.
“Caring for our community means caring for the environment where our neighbors live, work and play,” said Kellie Chapman, learning manager at Orlando Health Melbourne Hospital. “Participating in a beach cleanup is something I’ve always wanted to do, and it reflects values that were instilled in me from a young age about protecting the environment and preserving nature’s beauty for future generations. This cleanup gives us an opportunity to make a positive impact beyond patient care.”
Mara Ward, bariatric and orthopedic coordinator at Orlando Health Sebastian River Hospital, brought a friend along.
“Our beaches are an important part of what makes this community special — it’s what brought me to the area in the first place,” Ward said. “It’s rewarding to spend the morning alongside fellow team members and their family members making a visible difference in keeping our coastline clean and healthy.”
The International Coastal Cleanup, organized by the Ocean Conservancy, is the world’s largest single-day volunteer effort aimed at removing trash from oceans, beaches and waterways. Volunteers also document the types of debris they find.
Orlando Health, a not-for-profit health system based in Orlando, operates hospitals and other facilities across Florida, including Melbourne Hospital and Sebastian River Hospital.
