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Sandifer Big Shell Cleanup Silver Anniversary

Join the 25th annual Billy Sandifer Big Shell Cleanup on Saturday, Feb. 29, to help clean up an important stretch of Texas coast. Each year, hundreds of volunteers spend the day removing trash from the Big Shell portion of the Padre Island National Seashore near Corpus Christi. Organized by the Friends of Padre, a local group of anglers and other supporters of the park, the event needs working volunteers, four-wheel-drive vehicles and flatbed trailers for hauling trash out of the work area. Walking volunteers are welcomed; those without four-wheel-drive vehicles will be afforded transportation to and from the work area.

Volunteers can enjoy a free lunch after the event; commemorative T-shirts are available. The park entrance fee will be waived for the cleanup, which will take place rain or shine.

Sandifer, a Vietnam War veteran, came home troubled and sick and sought peace and health on the beach, guiding fishing, shelling and birding trips. Nicknamed “the Padre of Padre Island,” he became a leading protector of Padre Island and its wildlife until his death in 2018.

Sandifer’s work lives on as 9,925 volunteers have removed 2.9 million pounds of trash from this wild stretch of remote beach over the years of the cleanup. Join this year’s volunteers and make a difference. More information on friendsofpadre.com or on Facebook.