Olympians To Join Coastal Cleanup At 9 Long Beach Sites Saturday

LONG BEACH, CA — Hundreds of volunteers will spread across Long Beach beaches, parks and waterways Saturday for California Coastal Cleanup Day, with nine local sites offering everything from neighborhood cleanups to a chance to pick up trash alongside Olympic and Paralympic athletes.

The city's cleanup runs from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Sept. 19, as part of the 42nd annual statewide event organized by the California Coastal Commission.

Long Beach has significantly expanded its cleanup footprint this year. The city originally planned 10 sites, twice the number offered last year, before canceling a cleanup at the Peninsula earlier this month and shifting the Aquarium of the Pacific to co-lead the event at Shoreline Park. The change leaves nine locations across the city Saturday.

There should be plenty of hands to fill them. More than 950 volunteers removed over 2,375 pounds of debris in Long Beach in just three hours last year, according to the city.

From MacArthur Park To The Waterfront

Saturday's cleanup stretches beyond Long Beach's oceanfront, with volunteers also heading to MacArthur Park, Mother's Beach and Alamitos Bay Marina.

The nine sites are Alamitos Bay Marina, 255 N. Marina Drive; Alamitos Beach, 380 E. Shoreline Drive; Belmont Pier, 3998 E. Allin St.; Bluff Park, at Ocean Boulevard and Lindero Avenue; Junipero Beach, 2100 E. Ocean Blvd.; MacArthur Park, 1321 E. Anaheim St.; Mother's Beach, 5839 Appian Way; Shoreline Park, 700 E. Shoreline Drive; and Rainbow Harbor, 212 Golden Shore.

Different organizations will lead the cleanups, including Seal Beach Yacht Club, Ocean Conservancy, LA Waterkeeper, Algalita, Litter Free LB, the Bluff Park Neighborhood Association and city Parks, Recreation and Marine. Each location will also have its own activities, educational components and giveaways, according to the city.

Gloves and trash bags will be provided, although volunteers are encouraged to bring reusable work gloves, buckets and trash grabbers to reduce waste. Paper waivers will be available Saturday for those who have not completed one in advance, and volunteers younger than 16 will need a parent or caregiver's signature.

Parking will be free for volunteers in the nearest beach lot during the cleanup.

Olympians Head To Alamitos Beach

The Alamitos Beach cleanup has an additional connection to Long Beach's role in the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Ocean Conservancy is holding its flagship Los Angeles-area International Coastal Cleanup there, bringing members of Team USA Artistic Swimming and other Olympic and Paralympic representatives together with hundreds of local volunteers.

Among those scheduled to participate is Anita Alvarez, an Olympic silver medalist with USA Artistic Swimming, along with two-time Olympian John Moffett, president of the Southern California chapter of the U.S. Olympians and Paralympians Alumni Association. Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson is also scheduled to attend.

The location is particularly fitting: Alamitos Beach is scheduled to host Olympic beach volleyball and Paralympic blind football in 2028. The cleanup is part of Ocean Conservancy's “Protect Where We Play” initiative, which uses athletes and major sporting events to encourage participation in ocean conservation.

Ocean Conservancy says nearly 20 million volunteers have participated in its International Coastal Cleanup since 1986, removing more than 400 million pounds of trash worldwide. Saturday's Alamitos Beach event is free, but registration is requested. Cleanup materials will be provided, with T-shirts and reusable water bottles available while supplies last.

A Statewide Cleanup Before Winter

California Coastal Cleanup Day is the state's largest annual volunteer event, with participants cleaning not only beaches but creeks, rivers, lakes and inland waterways. The Coastal Commission says virtually every body of water in California eventually flows toward the ocean, potentially carrying trash and plastic pollution with it.

This year's cleanup takes on added significance as California marks the 50th anniversary of the California Coastal Act and prepares for a strengthening 2026-27 El Niño.

The Coastal Commission says the developing El Niño is expected to persist into spring 2027 and could bring stronger storms, heavy rainfall, large waves, flooding and erosion to coastal communities this winter. Trash left in inland waterways can also be swept toward the ocean during winter storms.

The commission expects more than 50,000 volunteers at hundreds of locations across California Saturday.

People looking for another location can use the commission's interactive map, which includes cleanup sites across the state and notes whether individual events require advance registration or allow volunteers to simply show up.