Beach cleanup at Bolsa Chica ends with a dance party on the sand

The 53 volunteers armed with empty bags, gloves and 3-foot aluminum beach-cleanup tongs, retrieved 58.8 pounds of trash from Bolsa Chica beach Sunday afternoon.

About eight of them stuck around afterward to don headsets and dance on the sand to the beats of a silent disco.

Suzanne Welsh, the volunteer coordinator for nonprofit Orange County Coastkeeper said she thought partnering with the silent disco for a special beach cleanup would be a cool way to publicize an event that would allow people to have fun while participating in an effort to help protect the ocean.

”The silent disco is pretty new and the first time we’ve been part of it, but there’s always a way, by trying new things, to engage the public in these pretty serious issues,” said Welsh. “The silent disco is also a good way to connect with folks who might not otherwise be interested in the usual 9 a.m. start time.”

O.C. Coastkeeper volunteer coordinator Suzanne Welsh hands out beach-cleanup tongs to disc jockey DD Garth and Jace Sandell, who came from San Diego to support the event held at Bolsa Chica State Beach on Sunday.

(Susan Hoffman)

Welsh explained that since beach cleanups get a lot of high school and college students, the collaborative relationship with silent disco music could not only help mitigate the scheduling problem but also provide a fun day at the beach with friends.

San Diego resident Brandt Pfeifer, founder and chief executive of the production company B.A.C. (Bold Artistic Collective) the Label said he wanted to get out there to clean up the environment and promote his company’s upcoming scheduled summer concert series, Loving Life Music & Arts Festival in Los Angeles.

Event sponsor Brandt Pfeifer of B.A.C. the Label, creator of Loving Life Music/Art Fest, helped pick up trash before kicking off silent disco Sunday at Bolsa Chica State Beach.

(Susan Hoffman)

“We want to create events around fun and uplifting dance music,” said Pfeifer. “A big part of what we do is giving back to mental health and nature conservation and building a community more than music.”

DD Garth, a disc jockey intrigued by the idea of participating in the Bolsa Chica cleanup, said she was there to be a “DJ for a cause.”

Among those moving to the beat after the cleanup activities was Ryan West of Irvine, who volunteers with O.C. Coastkeepers through a school internship program.

“I think that the silent disco was a great way to have fun while also bringing awareness to the mission goals of Coastkeepers,” West said.

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