Save The Waves Makes a Splash

Beach clean up and barbeque brings students together for cool prizes, free food and stewardship

This past Sunday, April 26th, UNE’s very own Surf Club teamed up with Residence Life and Sustainability to host an all-day event in honor of Earth Day called Save The Waves. This is the second year that Surf Club hosted such an event, only this year it was bigger and better thanks to co-sponsors and a live band. Surf Club hopes to bring it back in future years and continue to allow the event to grow.

The day began at 11 a.m. with sunshine and a campus cleanup. Almost forty student volunteers were equipped with rubber gloves and garbage bags. They dispersed in three separate groups to pick up trash on Freddy Beach, Hills Beach Road, and Newtown Road. It was a nice way to show our appreciation and respect for our neighbors, fellow UNE goers, and Earth alike.

The first one hundred students to volunteer/arrive at the event received a free black Save The Waves t-shirt with a trendy wave design on the front. They read “Surf. Sustain. Live.” on the back and have the UNE logo on the sleeve.

At 1 p.m., the volunteers regrouped at the Kiosk down by the water for a BBQ, yard games (such as corn hole, croquet, and bocce) and t-shirt tie dying, which were all huge hits! A bubble machine made an unforgettable appearance as well.

Five-member reggae/Caribbean band, Mystic Jammers, from Providence, Rhode Island, graced UNE with their musical talents. Their dreaded hair, sweet sounds, and fun personalities had everyone in a state of good vibes. Surf Club hopes to invite them back for next year! If interested, you can check out their music here: http://mysticjammers.com.

Later in the afternoon, two artists arrived from Blackbird Henna Studio in Portland, Maine. They painted creative small and large designs on students and then on members of the band as well! Their expertise was a very nice addition to the afternoon when things began to wind down. Students were excited to talk one-on-one with the artists and hope to have them back at future events.

Overall, the event was a huge success, and Surf Club cannot wait to do it again next year! Surf Club would personally like to thank all volunteers and event attendees as well as Jen DeBurro, Jamie Small, Sodexo, and Event Support Team for all of their help making Save The Waves a memorable spring event!

 

*For more information on joining UNE Surf Club, email Melissa DeStefano at [email protected] or search the “UNE Surf Club” page on FaceBook!