Lt. Governor Pamela Evette to lead Myrtle Beach cleanup with SC7 Expedition

Anti-litter non-profit Palmetto Pride to join SC7 in this Tuesday's BEACHSWEEP effort

MYRTLE BEACH, SOUTH CAROLINA, USA, July 17, 2023/EINPresswire.com/ -- Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette will join SC7 Expedition leaders Dr. Tom Mullikin and Michelle McCollum as well as officials with S.C. anti-litter non-profit Palmetto Pride in a debris-sweeping clean-up of a stretch of the grand strand, Tuesday morning, July 18. Dubbed BEACHSWEEP, the 1.5-hour event kicks-off at Hurl Rocks Park, 1905 S. Ocean Blvd., Myrtle Beach, one block from the intersection of S. Ocean Blvd. and 20th Avenue South, beginning where the surf meets the white sand at 9:00 a.m. sharp.

“In addition to keeping South Carolinians healthy [through outdoor activities like SC7], we want to keep S.C. clean and beautiful,” said Lt. Gov. Evette during an SC7 announcement of sponsors at the S.C. State House in Columbia, May 24. “You all know one of my passions is that of keeping S.C. clean and litter free. I do that with Palmetto Pride and other great partners. And SC7 leaders Tom Mullikin and Michelle McCollum have been huge champions in this.”

Tuesday July 18's BEACHSWEEP will follow Monday July 17’s SC7 hike along the nearby (Town of) Conway Riverwalk. The hike begins 9:00 a.m. at the Conway Chamber of Commerce building, 203 Main Street, in Conway.

Both events, only 24 hours apart, are open to the public; and Hurl Rocks Park, Myrtle Beach is only 15 miles from the Conway Chamber of Commerce on U.S. 501-South.

Palmetto Pride Executive Director Sarah Lyles says Tuesday’s BEACHSWEEP is one of many steps being taken to “change behavior” as regards the wanton discarding of trash on highways, in waterways, and along other public and private properties.

“Partnering with Lt. Governor Evette and the SC7 Expedition in the cleanup on the beach helps bring awareness to the issue of litter in our communities and the environment,” said Lyles. “If we want to change [the kind of] behavior that creates litter, if we want to change the social norms; we need to have strong leaders who make it a priority. Duke Energy is a leader in corporate good will, providing much needed resources to non-profits like Palmetto Pride. The benefit of this cleanup will have lasting impact, more than the few hours we will spend cleaning up litter. We will change behavior on Tuesday.”

A joint venture between the Mullikin-founded Global Eco Adventures and the S.C. National Heritage Corridor (National Park Service) of which McCollum serves as president; the 4th-annual SOUTH CAROLINA SEVEN (SC7) Expedition is a month-long trek across the Palmetto State. Participants – who are primarily hiking, but also whitewater rafting, kayaking, and quite a few SCUBA diving – began their trek in the Upstate, July 1, and will complete the expedition in Beaufort and on Parris Island, July 30. Along the way, Mullikin, a renowned global expedition leader and chair of the S.C. Floodwater Commission, together with other naturalists and historians are showcasing the state’s seven geographic wonders exploring, observing, and teaching along a route closely paralleling several hundred miles of the famed Palmetto Trail from the mountains to the sea. McCollum serves as SC7’s chief logistics officer.

The seven designated wonders of South Carolina include the Chattooga River; Sassafras Mountain; the Jocassee Gorges; the Congaree National Forest; the Edisto River; the Ashepoo, Combahee, and Edisto Basin (universally referred to as the ACE Basin); and Bull Island-Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge: “Each one a unique geographical treasure,” according to Mullikin.

Litter sweeps, river-debris clearing missions, other environmental cleanups, and trail repairs are taking place along the way, as well as offshore work on previously installed – and additional installation of – smart-reef systems and system components. SC7 2023’s smart reef efforts are a continuation of SC7’s 2022 work and beyond.

"We are hiking to create awareness,” said Mullikin. “We are also teaching to create a greater understanding, and we are embracing to unleash passions to protect our environment and build meaningful resiliency strategies.”

Duke Energy is the presenting sponsor for this year’s SC7 Expedition. Also partnering with SC7 is the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) and Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) of South Carolina which are the named health and wellness sponsors for 2023. The S.C. Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism is SC7’s Ecotourism sponsor. All of the executive sponsors will have participating representation at SC7's BEACHSWEEP 2023 on Tuesday.

– For more information about SC7 and to follow along daily through the SC7 field guide, please visit http://southcarolina7.com/.

Michelle McCollum
SC7
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