The beaches of Cameron Parish are looking cleaner thanks to the hard work of 320 volunteers who came together on Saturday, Sept. 20, for the annual Cameron Parish Beach Sweep–International Coastal Cleanup. By the end of the day, a 30-yard roll-off dumpster was filled to the top with trash and debris pulled from the shoreline.
Neighbors, students, scout troops, and visiting organizations joined forces to make the day a success. Some groups traveled in from Lake Charles, Lafayette, and even Baton Rouge to lend a hand.
“This is what community looks like,” one organizer said. “When you see kids, families, and organizations all working side by side, you realize how much people care about protecting our coast.”
Helping Hands From Near and Far
Among the groups pitching in were:
•Audubon Aquarium Rescue (AAR), with Nicole Kieda and Maddie Byrne sharing their work rescuing and rehabilitating stranded marine mammals and sea turtles. AAR is the only group in Louisiana that rehabilitates live stranded animals, and they hold a volunteer workshop every February.
•McNeese Cowboy Energy Club and Lamar Cardinal Energy Club
•Epsilon Eta Phi, an environmental fraternity at LSU
•St. Margaret Catholic School in Lake Charles
•Girl Scouts Troop 645 of Lake Charles
•Boy Scout Troop 162 of Lafayette
Local Sponsors and Support
The sweep also had strong backing from local sponsors and crews who kept things running smoothly:
•Waste Haul, LLC sponsored the roll-off dumpster for the third sweep in a row.
•J. B. Recreation Center, with Heather Trahan and her crew, worked behind the scenes to help.
•Cheniere LNG, Energy Transfer, Cameron LNG, Sempra Infrastructure, TotalEnergies, Mitsubishi, and Mitsui all offered support.
•Cameron Parish Tourist Commission supplied bags and sunscreen.
•Beachfront Development District #1 organized the event.
•Local Beach Crews, J. B. Roads & Bridges Crew, Fire Department, EMS, and the Sheriff’s Department all pitched in to keep things safe and well-coordinated.
A Community Tradition
For Cameron Parish, the Beach Sweep is more than just picking up litter—it’s about protecting wildlife, keeping beaches welcoming for visitors, and passing on a sense of stewardship to the next generation.
The sight of a full dumpster may not sound glamorous, but to the volunteers, it’s a badge of honor. As one scout leader put it, “Every piece of trash we picked up today is one less piece that can hurt a bird, a fish, or a sea turtle. That’s something the kids will never forget.”
With another successful cleanup in the books, Cameron Parish can proudly say its community spirit is as strong as its shoreline.