On Saturday February 13, 2010, Florida residents and tourists will be going to a number of beaches across the state to do a beach clean up and hold hands to show a united front to protect Florida's beaches against oil drilling during the 'Hands Across the Sand' event.

According to the event's website:

"This is an opportunity to show your opposition to oil drilling as close as 3 to 10 miles off our coast. This movement will be made of people of all walks of life. This movement is not about politics; it is about protection of our shoreline, our tourism, our valuable properties and our way of life. Let us share our knowledge, energies and passion for protecting our waterways and beaches from the devastating effects of oil drilling."

To learn more about this important event/issue, please visit their website. If you'll be participating, please make sure you have registered on their website for the event on 2/13.

This article appears in Jan 20-26, 2010.