Offshore Drilling Opponents Join Hands and Take Stand on Upham Beach

At Noon today, August 4, 2012, opponents of offshore oil drilling gathered on Upham Beach to participate in this year's nationwide Hands Across the Sand event.   Organized locally by the Suncoast Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation, over 100 people joined hands and stood in protest against offshore oil drilling at the same precise moment as others did the same on hundreds of other beaches across the world.

Many of those who participated arrived at Upham Beach specifically for the event, while others who were enjoying the beach or watching the nearby volleyball tournament heard the organizers' announcement about the event and joined in on the spur of the moment.  The spirit was lighthearted and everyone had a good time.

St. Pete Beach District 3 commissioner Marvin Shavlan arrived just after the event ended.  He then endured some serious grief from yours truly for being late  :)

It's been a while now since the Deepwater Horizon disaster, and attendance at this year's event was markedly diminished from the first Hands Across the Sand event, but it was nice to see folks still coming out and expressing their feelings about this important issue.  Kudos to the Surfrider Foundation for helping to keep this event alive!