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Local events set for “Hands Across the Sand” protest
Thousands of Floridians from all walks of life will gather on beaches from Pensacola to Key West and Miami to Jacksonville on Saturday, Feb. 13, 2010, in a massive, statewide coastal protest against legislative proposals to open Florida’s waters to offshore oil drilling.
Plans are underway for two locations in Franklin County to hold a “Hands Across the Sands” protest event, on St. George Island at the public beach behind the lighthouse, and in Carrabelle at Carrabelle Beach State Park. The Carrabelle beach event is being organized by Lesley Cox, who can be reached at 697-5555 or dan-lesley@att.net
Anyone can join in to be part of “Hands Across the Sand,” which is the brainchild of Dave Rauschkolb, who owns Bud & Alley’s restaurant in Seaside.
“This is a simple, nonpartisan way for Floridians to join hands in an effort to protect our state’s most important asset – our waterways and beaches,” Rauschkolb said. “Our goal is to convince legislators and Gov. Charlie Crist to drop the folly of offshore oil drilling. All it takes is one accident -- one oil spill -- and it is just not worth the risk to our environment and our coastal tourism industry.”
Here’s all participants have to do: Go to their local beach at 1 p.m. for an hour, rain or shine. At 1:30 p.m., hold hands creating human lines in the sand protesting oil drilling in Florida’s waters. That’s it! To find out what’s being organized in your area, visit http://www.handsacrossthesand.org
Among those who have joined Hands Across the Sand to oppose drilling of Florida’s beaches are the Apalachicola RiverKeeper, Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association, Audubon Society, the county commissions of Bay, Broward, Collier, Escambia, Lee, Manatee, Pinellas, Sarasota, Wakulla and Walton counties, the chambers of commerce in Bay County, Destin, Panama City Beach, Tampa Bay and the Walton area; the cities of Clearwater, Gulfport, Indian Rocks, Indian Shores, Key West, Miami Beach, Pensacola, Redington Beach, Redington Shores, Safety Harbor, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Petersburg, Tampa, Tarpon Springs, Treasure Island; and many other not-for-profit organizations.
