In this E-Letter:
StyroMania Hits Santa Barbara!
Marcie’s Mermaids Swim For Heal the Ocean - Donate today!
Peaches the Cat Sponsors a Dog Bag Dispenser
HTO 2019 Benefit — October 19, 2019, Tickets Available Now!
Runners, Bikers, & Swimmers Do a Big Hooray for HTO!
STYROMANIA HITS SANTA BARBARA
In less than two months of announcing a Styrofoam Recycling Program created in a partnership of Heal the Ocean and MarBorg Industries, the amount of Styrofoam going to the program instead of the landfill (and from there, pieces of it out to sea) – is mind-boggling! Right away, on the first day, construction contractors pulled up to MarBorg’s free drop-off site at 20 David Love Place in Goleta, and private citizens began diverting Styrofoam from their trash bins and taking it to the MarBorg recycling center at 132 Nopalitos, in the lower Milpas area, where a mountain of Styrofoam formed within 2 weeks.
Pat & Maire Radis retrieve Styrofoam from their business trash bin
2-week Mountain of Styrofoam at Nopalitos Dropoff
MarBorg is experimenting with “baling” the Styrofoam, for shipping to a “Densifier” process in Ontario – in which Styrofoam is basically melted into molds that are reusable as picture frames, molding, as well as new packing materials that are necessary for fragile shipments such as glass, ceramic materials (sinks, bathtubs), and electronic equipment such as computers and television screens. The goal is to demonstrate a need for the Densifier equipment in Santa Barbara so that it doesn’t have to be hauled to Ontario. We need everyone to participate to have this happen. Please read here to understand the dire need to keep Styrofoam out of the ocean. Once again and always, Heal the Ocean thanks Brian Borgatello for spearheading this project at MarBorg!
Heal the Ocean has designated our new intern George Henner as our Styrofoam recycling advisor to assist you in utilizing this program. If you need any assistance or have any questions e-mail us at Styrofoam@healtheocean.org to get this help.
Remember: If it snaps/breaks it’s Styrofoam, otherwise it’s not. Please do NOT put Styrofoam into your Blue Recycling bins.
Remember also: All this Styrofoam being pulled out of trash bins is NOT going to the Landfill, and from there, to the ocean. Thank you!
MARCIE’S MERMAIDS SET TO SWIM THE SANTA BARBARA CHANNEL FOR HTO—DONATE NOW!
Left: The Mermaids after their night swim training
Right: Marcie's Mermaids (L to R): Hilary McAvoy, Liz Boscacci, Heather Royer, Chelsea Jones, & Rachel Horn and junior mermaid!
While everyone was sleeping on Tuesday night, six brave ladies came together to swim in the ocean in the dark in preparation for the Marcie’s Mermaids’ Santa Barbara Channel Swim for Heal the Ocean, which is taking place on September 19, 2019. The ladies have raised almost $5,000 for Heal the Ocean already, and are determined to reach their $10,000 goal. We are so grateful to the Mermaids for taking on this challenge and we encourage you to show your support to them and our ocean by donating to the Marcie’s Mermaids fundraiser!
Marcie’s Mermaids was created in memory of Marcie Kjoller’s life and love for the ocean and the Santa Barbara community. Friend and local marathon swimmer Rachel Horn created the relay team, "Marcie's Mermaids" with Liz Boscacci, Hilary McAvoy, Chelsea Jones, Heather Royer, and Emily Case. The ladies will be swimming 19 miles across the Santa Barbara Channel to raise funds for Heal the Ocean in Marcie’s memory. Marcie's Mermaids will swim from Santa Cruz Island to Oxnard Beach, braving the cold water and the 10+ hour swim - and without wearing wetsuits!
The funds raised by the Mermaids will go towards supporting Heal the Ocean’s work to tackle ocean pollution. Currently, the money raised will be used to fund our part in the HTO/MarBorg Industries Styrofoam Recycling Project, which, when fully executed will keep a LOT of harmful Styrofoam material out of the ocean. When you support Marcie’s Mermaids you'll be cheering on these incredible ladies and directly helping to keep our ocean clean and safe for all people and sealife.
Watch the video on the Mermaids' swim and donate here!
AN ALL-TIME FIRST: A KITTY SPONSORS A DOG BAG DISPENSER
Peaches the cat
HEAL THE OCEAN’S 2019 BENEFIT
TICKETS AVAILABLE TODAY!
Join us at the historic El Paseo Restaurant for an evening of good cheer and company as we celebrate another year of great ocean achievements at Heal the Ocean’s Annual Benefit on October 19, 2019. It will be a night to remember with a great dinner, an amazing live auction, a DJ, dancing, and an ocean-themed photo booth!
Individual tickets are AVAILABLE NOW! If you haven’t purchased your ticket yet, please don't wait, because tickets will go fast and we want YOU to be there with us!
To purchase tickets click here or call or email the office:
805-965-7570 // alison@healtheocean.org
Scene from last year’s Benefit. Photo by Priscilla.
RUNNERS, BIKERS, SWIMMERS DO A BIG HOORAY FOR HTO!
Scenes from the Triathlon. Photos by Heather Hudson
On Saturday, August 24, 2019, at the corner of El Camino De La Luz & Oliver Road on the Mesa, Heal the Ocean set up a water station where hundreds of athletes passed by to grab some water at this 4-mile mark on the final leg of their 10-mile run to complete the Santa Barbara Triathlon! As the athletes came across the intersection, they were greeted by our banners, cheers, and lots of Heal the Ocean rallying spirit. Eighteen of our best and most cheerful volunteers came together to hand out water, Gatorade, and words of encouragement to more than 600 of Santa Barbara’s super athletes. Heal the Ocean was selected as one of four beneficiaries of the Santa Barbara Triathlon this year in memory of Santa Barbara local teacher and triathlete Marcie Kjoller, who died tragically in early 2019.
A big thank you to all of our great volunteers, to the Santa Barbara Triathlon for selecting Heal the Ocean as a beneficiary, and to the athletes who competed and raised money for our organization!
If you are interested in volunteering with Heal the Ocean in the future, please email alison@healtheocean.org.