Each year, on the third Monday of January, we celebrate and remember Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (MLK Day) and his activism for racial and economic justice. In 1993, Representative John Lewis and Senator Harris Wofford sponsored the King Holiday and Service Act, which was signed into law the following year by President Clinton. 

This past MLK Day, Brevard Network member Nancy B. and her husband Eric joined me at Pelican Beach Park in Satellite Beach for a day of service.  

image description: Nancy b. on the left wearing a 'noles sweater, eric next to her, and amy in the bottom right of the picture. they are all standing under some seagrapes and smiling for the camera. 

The morning started out at a brisk 38℉, but the sun was shining and the wind was calm which was perfect beach cleanup weather. With our buckets and pickers in hand–supplied by Keep Brevard Beautiful–our little group walked northwards keeping our eyes peeled for litter. 

At the end of the cleanup, we found a wide variety of litter; from cigarette butts to straws and pieces of roofing, alongside partially disintegrated plastic bags and nylon rope twisted around seaweed and driftwood.  

image description: a dark blue paint bucked about 1/3 full with some old rope and other litter about, and a metal trash picker to the left of the bucket. 

The Brevard Network wanted to celebrate living in such a beautiful place, and this event was a nice reminder to not only enjoy Brevard, but to cherish and take care of it. As Dr. King said, “Our goal is to create a beloved community and this will require a qualitative change in our souls as well as a quantitative change in our lives.”  

As the new Brevard Network Coordinator, I hope to continue to build upon the amazing work that Lara Klopp began. Be on the lookout for more volunteer and other social events in the near future. To connect, contact me at BrevardNet@csw.fsu.edu.