South San Francisco, CA September 23, 2017 Submitted by Joe Fragola, Kaiser Permanente
KP Volunteers Coast Cleanup Day
More than 100 Kaiser Permanente physicians, employees, friends and family volunteers spent one recent Saturday at Sharp Park Beach in Pacifica, picking up trash and debris as part of International Coastal Cleanup Day.
The group effort was led by Dr. Dennis Nakamura, of Kaiser Permanente’s South San Francisco Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Department.
Dr. John Skerry & Dr Dennis Nakamura KP SSF
“It is truly gratifying to see so many of our Kaiser Permanente employees volunteer their time for this worthwhile endeavor,” said Dr. Nakamura. “There is a certain satisfaction that we are doing our part to take care of the environment. It is amazing all the garbage we cleanup.”
As a leading integrated health care organization, Kaiser Permanente is committed to the health of the communities it serves, including environmental health.
The volunteers collected over 700 pounds of discarded trash and debris, from bicycles to tires, a computer and printer and more than 3,500 cigarette butts.
KP Volunteers cleaned all this up and more
The majority of the Kaiser Permanente volunteers came from the South San Francisco, Redwood City, and Oakland medical centers. They were among thousands of San Mateo County residents who scoured beaches, creeks, waterways, parks and neighborhoods to clear tons of trash and garbage on Sept. 16, 2017, as part of International Coastal Cleanup Day
KP Coast Cleanup family volunteers
Since 2005, state officials estimate that almost 350,000 pounds of debris have been cleaned up from San Mateo County alone.