This month marked an exciting new chapter for Love Blue Inc. as we officially launched a program designed for coastal schools located in the communities where we operate. Our goal? To empower young students with the tools, knowledge, and inspiration to protect their local beaches and become environmental stewards.
We were thrilled to kick things off with Avalon Elementary School in Avalon, New Jersey. Love Blue CEO & Founder AJ Caruso was invited to be a guest speaker at the school’s Student Council Meeting, where he shared the origin story of Love Blue, our mission, how we’ve evolved since our founding, and the impact we’re making across the country. Through an engaging and interactive presentation, AJ highlighted ways students could get involved and join the movement to protect our oceans. The response from the students was overwhelmingly positive, they were energized, informed, and ready to make a difference.
After the presentation, the incredible staff at Avalon Elementary coordinated with the City of Avalon and Avalon Beach Patrol, who welcomed the effort with open arms. Later that day, students met on the beach, where Love Blue set up a tent featuring our signature gear. AJ kicked things off with a motivational speech about why cleaning the beaches matters, not just for the environment, but for the health of the community and future generations. He explained the ripple effect that one cleanup can create, inspiring others to take action and raising awareness about ocean pollution.
Armed with gloves, bags, and a mission, the first group of students took to the beach and collected an impressive 30 pounds of trash, mostly small plastics, debris, bottles, and cans. These were items that could have easily ended up in the ocean, posing a serious threat to marine life.
During the cleanup, AJ introduced the group to the “Cigs Inside” Surfboard, a powerful visual piece created by the founders of Love Blue and our friends at Mellow Grove. The surfboard is embedded with cigarette butts collected from beaches all along the East Coast, from New Jersey to Florida. Students were fascinated by the board, and some of Avalon’s young surfers were especially drawn to it, asking questions and learning more about the impact of cigarette pollution.
Shortly after, a second group of students arrived, and the process repeated with the same enthusiasm and attention to detail. This group gathered another 20 pounds of trash, bringing the total for the day to 50 pounds removed from Avalon’s beaches.
Avalon is widely known for its clean, beautiful coastline, which made this effort even more meaningful. The students were incredibly focused on picking up the small but significant pieces, those that often go unnoticed but can cause the most harm if swept into the ocean by wind or tide.
Love Blue Inc. is incredibly grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with Avalon Elementary School, its passionate staff and students, and the city of Avalon. This pilot event is just the beginning—we’re looking forward to bringing this program to more coastal schools in the near future.
Thank you, Avalon Elementary, for making waves of change. Together, we’re building a cleaner, bluer future.
