Cleaning up the coast
![A volunteer carries a bag of trash under the Santa Monica Pier during the 25th annual California Coastal Cleanup Day.](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/6623ba5/2147483647/strip/true/crop/600x400+0+0/resize/600x400!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Ff6%2F41%2F640d4ad5710ff8c8306d6828c8c5%2Fla-me-beachclean1-kq8p39nc.jpg)
A volunteer carries a bag of trash under the Santa Monica Pier during the 25th annual
![Couple at cleanup day in Santa Monica](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/ad51790/2147483647/strip/true/crop/309x450+0+0/resize/309x450!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F63%2F08%2F006c92a1abd24e607b45f3dcb7ef%2Fla-me-beachclean2-kq8p2pnc.jpg)
Nancy Olsen and Derek Miller from Glendale pick up trash near the pier during the event that was part of a global effort in which at least 127 countries participated. (Stefano Paltera / For The Times)
![Disney workers at cleanup day](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/74e8893/2147483647/strip/true/crop/600x400+0+0/resize/600x400!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fa4%2Fe6%2F397bb805670c68b6e3dde36eea7b%2Fla-me-beachclean3-kq8p2gnc.jpg)
Disney workers pitched in as two of the more than 14,000 volunteers who showed up for the cleanup day. (Stefano Paltera / For The Times)
![Rewarded for environmental efforts](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/6c506ba/2147483647/strip/true/crop/600x402+0+0/resize/600x402!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fba%2Fd1%2F7e599e8d10a990ac5a7b2beb6af7%2Fla-me-beachclean4-kq8p1inc.jpg)
Santa Monica High School student Megan Kilroy receives the HALO Award and $20,000 from a TeenNick presenter for her environmental efforts, while participating with her classmates at cleanup event. (Stefano Paltera / For The Times)
Advertisement
![A family affair](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/ae711f7/2147483647/strip/true/crop/600x400+0+0/resize/600x400!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F1d%2Fe1%2F7c88e305c871fa712abc5e26316d%2Fla-me-beachclean5-kq8p17nc.jpg)
The Chan family from Alhambra works together to help rid Santa Monica beach of trash. (Stefano Paltera / For The Times)
![Under Santa Monica Pier](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/a6137a5/2147483647/strip/true/crop/600x375+0+0/resize/600x375!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F26%2F9f%2F94ac7e0ab4951abc7c5d5ae23aba%2Fla-me-beachclean6-kq8oypnc.jpg)
Volunteers search for trash under the Santa Monica Pier, one of 69 sites where waste was removed. (Stefano Paltera / For The Times)
![Full load](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/d412a0e/2147483647/strip/true/crop/300x450+0+0/resize/300x450!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fd7%2F6e%2F780594e1a308510f51f315c09720%2Fla-me-beachclean7-kq8ousnc.jpg)
A man carries a full bag of trash. In all, 150 tons of trash was removed in L.A. County. (Stefano Paltera / For The Times)