Olympic and Paralympic Athletes, Ocean Conservancy and City of Long Beach Join Forces to Clean Up Alamitos Beach, site of 2028 games
LOS ANGELES – Ocean Conservancy and the City of Long Beach are joining forces with representatives from the USA Artistic Swimming National Team and the U.S. Olympians and Paralympians Association to clean up Alamitos Beach on Tuesday, November 18th. Together with local volunteers, the crews will remove trash and debris from the beach before it reaches the ocean.
Long Beach will serve as a 2028 Venue City set to stage the largest number of sporting events outside of the Host City of Los Angeles, staging 11 sporting events for the Olympic Games and seven for the Paralympic Games, nine of which will take place along local beaches and waterways. Alamitos Beach, where the clenaup will take place, and its connecting shoreline will stage multiple sporting events including beach volleyball, open water swimming, coastal rowing, sailing and blind football.
“As a Venue City with several sporting events taking place along our beaches and waterways, Long Beach is deeply committed to protecting the coastal environment that defines our iconic shoreline,” said Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson. “Caring for our beaches and waterways is not just our responsibility—it’s a shared commitment with our community partners and residents. We’re proud to join forces with the Ocean Conservancy, the USA Artistic Swimming National Team and the U.S. Olympians and Paralympians Association for our first volunteer event leading up to the 2028 Games. Together, we’re building a legacy of environmental stewardship and civic pride that will carry well beyond 2028.”
“Partnering with the City of Long Beach and Olympic and Paralympic teams and athletes brings new excitement and energy to the mission of protecting our beloved ocean,” said Ocean Conservancy’s Chief Brand and Communications Officer Jenna DiPaolo. “Whether you’re a fan, an athlete, or a volunteer, we all have a role in ocean conservation and preventing plastic from polluting our ocean.”
This cleanup is a great way to pay it forward ahead of the 2028 Games and be part of the community long before our athletes enter the arena. Our partnership with Ocean Conservancy’s Protect Where We Play initiative embodies what our members value and what our national team is at its core. We look forward to continuing the work.
-Adam Andreasko, CEO, USA Artistic Swimming
Ocean Conservancy knows the power of sport to mobilize people to take action for our ocean. Earlier this year, Ocean Conservancy launched Protect Where We Play to unite fans, athletes and artists in defense of the ocean that makes it all possible. With support from official “Team Ocean Captains”—such as two-time Gold-medal Paralympian Ezra Frech (who will be in attendance), WNBA’s Napheesa Collier, NFL’s Kelvin Beachum, and MLB’s Brent Suter—the initiative demonstrates that protecting the ocean also means protecting the future.
Ocean Conservancy has hosted the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) since 1986. In that time, nearly 19 million volunteers have removed over 400 million pounds of trash worldwide—equivalent to over 27,000 pounds per day for 40 years. The global plastics crisis sends approximately 11 million metric tons of waste into the ocean each year—more than a garbage truck’s worth of plastics every minute. Cleanups not only have immediate impacts for the health of our ocean, but the data collected also contribute to research and policy advocacy. Using the Clean Swell app, volunteers help build the world’s largest marine debris database, which has fueled policies like plastic bag bans, foam restrictions and California’s landmark plastics law, SB54.
WHO:
- Rex Richardson, Mayor, City of Long Beach
- Cindy Allen, Councilwoman, Second District, City of Long Beach
- Kristina Duggan, Councilmember, Third District, City of Long Beach
- John Moffet, Vice President of the U.S. Olympians and Paralympians Association
- Lara Teixeira, Chief of Sport of USA Artistic Swimming
- Daniella Ramirez and Anita Alvarez, USA Artistic Swimming silver medalists
- Ezra Frech, two-time Gold-medal Paralympian and Protect Where We Play Team Ocean Captain
- Nick Mallos, Ocean Conservancy’s Vice President of Conservation, Ocean Plastics
- Allison Schutes, Ocean Conservancy’s Senior Director of Conservation Cleanups
- Jenna DiPaolo, Ocean Conservancy’s Chief Brand and Communications Officer
- Ocean Conservancy staff
- Local volunteers
WHAT:
- Volunteers will help protect sensitive habitats and marine life while contributing to cutting-edge plastic pollution research that fuels policy change.
- Timeline:
- Breakfast and Snacks
- A short speaking program
- Cleanup
- All cleanup materials – including sunscreen and bug spray — will be provided, along with a free t-shirt (while supplies last).
WHEN: Tuesday, November 18, 2025, 9:30AM-12PM PT
WHERE:
- Alamitos Beach (380 E Shoreline Drive Long Beach, CA 90802
- Complimentary parking will be available in the Alamitos Beach Lot (380 E. Shoreline Dr.) and the Marina Green Lot, located off East Shoreline Drive and Linden Avenue (enter lot and make immediate left).
CONTACT
- Volunteers can register on Eventbrite HERE.
- If you would like to RSVP as press or set up an interview with one of Ocean Conservancy’s experts, please contact Roya Fox at rfox@oceanconservancy.org or 202.280.6285.
- Interviews with City of Long Beach officials will be available day-of on a first-come, first-served basis.
ABOUT OCEAN CONSERVANCY
For more than 50 years, Ocean Conservancy has delivered effective, evidence-based solutions for the ocean and all who depend on it. Today, we continue to unite science, people and policy to protect our ocean from the greatest challenges it faces: climate change, plastic pollution and biodiversity loss. We are a 501(C)3 headquartered in Washington, D.C. that inspires a worldwide network of partners, advocates and supporters through our comprehensive and clear-eyed approach to ocean conservation. Together, we are securing a healthy ocean and a thriving planet, forever and for everyone. For more information, visit oceanconservancy.org, or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Bluesky or Instagram.
ABOUT THE CITY OF LONG BEACH
Long Beach is nestled along the Southern California coast and home to approximately 466,000 people. As an award-winning full-service charter city, Long Beach offers the amenities of a metropolitan city while maintaining a strong sense of individual and diverse neighborhoods, culture, and community. With a bustling downtown and over six miles of scenic beaches, Long Beach is a renowned tourist and business destination and home to the iconic Queen Mary, nationally recognized Aquarium of the Pacific and Long Beach Airport, the award-winning Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center and world-with Port of Long Beach. For more information about the City of Long Beach, visit longbeach.gov/. Follow us on social to keep up with the latest news: Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube.
