The Police News / Breck Porter

September 27, 2009

JAMAICA BEACH, Tx - Dozens of people from all over the Houston area picked up debris from the 1-mile strip of beach at Jamaica Beach Saturday as part of the Texas General Land Office's Adopt-A-Beach program.

This is the first year the stretch of Texas beach that runs through this tiny village on West Galveston Island, has been included in the Adopt-A-Beach program.

Houstonian Kurt Henry, founder and president of "I Neglect" enlisted support from several businesses and organizations to make this first effort successful.

Best Buy, Baybrook Mall and all it's employees and their families volunteered for the event as did children from Big Brothers-Big Sisters, the Girl Scouts and some Jamaica Beach volunteer firefighters.

The beach cleanup was followed by a BBQ dinner and play in the park at Jamaica Beach Park where the volunteers and Jamaica Beach residents who turned out to help, were given "I Neglect" t-shirts and Astros baseball caps. VIEW PHOTOS

The bulk of debris what winds up on Texas beach is left by beachgoers, according to the Texas General Land Office.  Animals and marine life can mistage the trash - which includes 6-pack rings, paper and plastic bags, and plastic wrappers - for food, endangering their health and often leading to their deaths.

Henry has named his group the Jamaica Beach Guardians and says they will be back next year.