SULLIVANS ISLAND, S.C. (WCBD) – Community members on Sullivan’s Island joined together today to make a difference on the beach.

A group of around 60 people met at Dunleavy’s Pub to grab bags and gloves before getting to work taking care of the beach.

Just five years ago, National Geographic said there are 5.25 trillion pieces of plastic debris in the world’s oceans.

Fish, sea turtles, birds and ocean mammals can find themselves stuck in plastic debris or mistake it for food.

That’s one reason teams set out on Sullivan’s Island this afternoon, near Station 22, with supplies in hand.

“We love our beaches and we want to be able to come out here and give back,” said Lee Rowland, the Director of the Charleston Beach Foundation, who hosted the event. “We want to make sure everyone in the area gets to enjoy the beaches and you can’t really enjoy them if they’re not taken care of.”

Volunteers of all ages showed their support including one notable participant Congressman Joe Cunningham.

“Sullivan’s, Isle of Palms, these are some of the reasons people live here, people move here, people work here. It makes us who we are as the Lowcountry,” said Cunningham.

A clean beach, not only makes for happy people, but is good for wildlife as well.

The Charleston Beach Foundation says soon beach clean ups will be a regular occurrence on all Charleston beaches.

“We’re looking forward to doing some more events,” said Rowland.