Smithtown Student-Volunteers Clean Up Long Beach Park

ST. JAMES, NY — Roughly 40 Town of Smithtown Youth & Community Alliance student-volunteers joined up with members of the National Guard Counterdrug Task Force and the Parks Department to clean up Long Beach Park in St. James on Sept 25. Together, the volunteers tackled harmful waste left along the shoreline, according to the Town of Smithtown.

The students collected trash and recorded evidence of drug, tobacco and alcohol-related waste to help identify the areas where substance use is happening. Sgt. Carissa Siry and SSG Jessica Alese of the National Guard worked with the students.

The cleanup was done to help bring community awareness as a part of the Smithtown Youth & Community Alliance’s efforts to keep the community safe and clean.

"This is an outstanding show of community service by our brightest future leaders of the community," Supervisor Ed Wehrheim stated. "I’d like to personally thank the National Guard team, Youth Bureau staff, Roseann Conforti, Youth Services Coordinator Janine Marc-Anthony, Kelly DeVito, Alexa Stern, and Kristin Doran from Horizons Counseling & Education, Don Misuraca from our Parks Department, and most of all, the incredible kids who gave up a sunny Saturday to help make our shoreline safer for both humans and wildlife."

The students collected three 30-gallon bags filled with alcohol, tobacco/vape and drug-related items, and six 30-gallon bags filled with waste that is harmful to the aquatic and wildlife living in the area.

"We were lucky enough to have great weather on the day of the event," said Janine Marc-Anthony, youth services coordinator of the Town of Smithtown Youth Bureau. "It was actually a PERFECT day for a beach cleanup. Alliance student-volunteers were so enthusiastic and into the project. It was a very effective beach cleanup; an educational experience about substance use in that location, and a wonderful opportunity for students to socialize and enjoy a beautiful morning together."