2009 Kids Ocean Day: A Major Success!

More than 4,000 students hit the beaches yesterday, to celebrate the 16th annual Kids Ocean Day at Dockweiler State Beach.

The event, hosted by the Michael Klubock of the Malibu Foundation and the LA Stormwater Program, brought out City Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Public Works President Cynthia Ruiz for a press conference concerning ocean pollution. As winner of the aerial art design contest, fourth-grader Rebecca Chan also gave us insight on why pollution prevention is key to preserving the future for her and her classmates.

Other speakers included Dr. Suja Lowenthal of the California Coastal Commission, Tyler James Williams from Everybody Hates Chris, Tiffany Thorton from Sonny with a Chance and Debby Ryan from Suite Life on Deck.

Students from 25 elementary schools throughout Los Angeles County banded together to create a "Happy Fish" aerial art piece, showing the inextricable connection between a clean ocean and safe future. The helicopter zoomed over the thousands of students, capturing their message of "Save the Ocean". To further display their concern for the environment, the students participated in a massive beach cleanup after the press conference and aerial art excitement.

Kids Ocean Day is the culmination of the year's Adopt-A-Beach School Program. During the school year, Malibu Foundation and Stormwater Program representatives conduct interactive presentations to school assemblies throughout Southern California, emphasizing the connection between clean neighborhoods and clean oceans. To date, the program has reached almost 462,000 school children since October 1991 about the importance of pollution prevention.

A big thanks to all City staff and local volunteers for their efforts in creating another Ocean Day success!

To view more event photos, visit www.malibufoundation.org

During the aerial display, there were many planes flying over, who probably got a great glimpse of the human art. Did anyone on a flight out of LAX see the kids in the "Happy Fish" display? Let us know!