KIC End of Year Pizza Party!

Every year, KIC has an end of year waste-free pizza party.  That means the food comes in a compostable cardboard box--no plastic packaging.  Volunteers bring their own reusable beverage bottle.  Few beverages are supplied, but the ones that are include a cooler of water and coke in recyclable glass bottles topped with recyclable metal lids in compostable cardboard cartons--not plastic packaging.  Volunteers also come prepared with their own non-disposable plate, non-disposable cutlery, and cloth napkins.  A WASTE-FREE PARTY IS EASY!

This year, Vito's Pizza of WB donated 10 pizzas!  Thank you friends at Vito's.

In 2014 KIC volunteers removed over 525 bags of trash from the beach which included over 11,000 items!  

Since 2009 (6 KIC seasons), we have collected over 3,290.07 bags of trash.  

In those 6 seasons, we have shared data with the town to raise awareness about the litter problem.  We were invited to serve on the WB Cleaner Greener Committee.  We were named 2010 Nancy Faye Craig Volunteer of the Year.  We have presented at the NC Sea Turtle Permit Holder's meeting.  We have presented to school groups, we have mentored senior projects, and we have even provided community service hours. We joined with Ocean Conservancy on a pilot project in 2013---18 other beaches joined this project in 2014.  We were featured during a poster session with Ocean Conservancy at the International Sea Turtle Symposium in 2014 where (I was told) 70 countries were represented.  We have "trashy" items in art sculptures created by Bonnie Monteleone and the Plastic Ocean Project, Inc.  One of Bonnie's art sculptures now hangs in The Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Hospital. Most recently we have been instrumental in working with a local business to reduce the distribution of disposable plastic straws! WE VOLUNTEER. WE CARE.  WE KEEP IT CLEAN.

Ginger shows a donated door prize by "Love For Earth"--reusable produce bags.--no plastic.   Kara, who created the reusable produce bags said she started sewing the bags because she had watched a documentary on sea turtles and decided that she would stop using plastic bags.  She found it easy to replace the plastic grocery bag, but the produce bags were more difficult, so she made her own.  I have some of these and they are great.  In the picture, they are folded up, but are much larger than they appear here.  You can go to this link to order your own and shop for  other great items.  I did not know Kara's story until I asked her to donate.  Now, I love the bags even more, if that was even possible!  The items in the background are all items removed from the beach.

Gigi is one of the KIC mascots and here she is guarding the trash.  All of these items, including the deflated balloons hanging on the post, are items that two volunteers removed from their daily walks (16 walks only about 1 mile each).  All the bins are also filled with "trashy" items from these walks as well.  The posters to the left are educational.

Discussing KIC mission, accomplishments and the future.

KIC Volunteer Amber looks at the camera.  She removed 30 bags of trash in just one day!  She is a rock star!

KIC volunteers, Jim and Lucretia are just awesome people.  They also volunteer with Audubon.  

Volunteers enjoying pizza and trashy conversation.

KIC mascot, Gigi was very happy to have her BFF, Belle show up to the party.  They had pizza bones and are likely begging for those in this photo.

KIC volunteers also care for the planet by riding their bikes to the party.

Volunteer, Jeff Loveless wins the coveted glass sea turtle straw.  No plastic straws for us!

WBSTP coordinator, Nancy Fahey wins the produce bags.  

Friends School of Wilmington music teacher and KIC friend, Sarah Howard wins an insulated lunch box donated by WB Parks and Rec. Department.

Drawing the winner for one of the trash grabbers that was donated by volunteer, John Marcucci and his boss at Walex Products.  These grabbers were very coveted items,  especially when speaking of removing dirty diapers from the beach.

Everyone eagerly awaits to see who will be the winner of  one of  the KIC canvas bags donated by WB Parks and Rec.

KIC coordinator, Ginger Taylor wears a blue straw hat that she retrieved from the water way while boating.  The straw hat perfectly matches her new tshirt given to volunteers by Ocean Conservancy for participating in their pilot project of tracking debris on sea turtle nesting beaches.  The pink "Trash Queen" crown was given to Ginger by KIC volunteers, Dick and Linda Chapman.

I am proud to know you KICers.  Thank you so much for all you have accomplished and all you continue to do.

Peace and Clean Oceans,
Ginger