FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Growing up near the beach in Panama, J.D. Gunn has always been passionate about the health of our shores. While he’s been exposed to plenty of the natural beauty that beaches offer, he’s also seen how easily this can be tainted by human influence. He frequently saw trash scattered along coastlines near his hometown of Albrook. That’s why when the opportunity to join New England Revolution staff in partnership with Save the Harbor/Save the Bay for a beach cleanup arose, Gunn pounced on the chance to make a difference.
“As someone who grew up going to the beach every week, it's a passion of mine to see clean beaches. Where I'm from, unfortunately, we have beautiful beaches, but there's a lot of trash because people don't take great care of the beaches. So, when I saw the opportunity to clean up a local beach, even just for an afternoon, to help with something I am passionate about, I decided it was a great opportunity,” Gunn explained.
The goalkeeper teamed up with members of the Revolution front office and young staffers from Save the Harbor/Save the Bay at Tenean Beach in Dorchester, where the group ended up collecting over 50 pounds of trash.
Gunn couldn’t believe the amount of debris they were able to remove in such a short amount of time. While he often picks up trash on his own, he had never been to an organized beach cleanup and was shocked by the difference the group was able to make.
“It was crazy because most of the things we picked up felt like very small items, but when you work together with 10, 15 people, it really accumulates. Unfortunately, the most common item was cigarette butts; I probably picked up over 100,” he said. “Then in the end, when you can see the difference that you have made, it’s extremely gratifying. Especially at a place like the beach, where people are supposed to go and enjoy, it just made it all the better.”
The relationship between the Revolution and Save the Harbor isn’t new. In fact, New England has supported the cause of Save the Harbor/Save the Bay for several years, donating to their youth and beach programs on Boston Harbor and attending events in support of their mission to restore and keep Boston Harbor, the Islands, and the region’s public beaches clean and protected.
“Having the staff and J.D. Gunn literally ‘show up’ is such a clear demonstration of their commitment to community and our causes. Any chance to highlight our programs with the imprimatur of one of the faces of the sport is especially welcome,” said Save the Harbor/Save the Bay deputy executive director, Kristen Barry. “Our youth staffers were so thrilled to be able to spend time with J.D. at the beach cleanup.”
For Gunn, Barry, and the rest of the Revolution organization, this cleanup may have been the first, but there are no plans for it to be the last. With New England’s sights set on a potential new stadium coming to Everett in a few years, their relationship with Save the Harbor/Save the Bay is especially important as the planned stadium project comes with plans to revitalize the waterfront in the surrounding area – creating a waterfront park and making public access to the Boston shoreline more accessible.
“We hope we can repeat successful events like this,” said Barry. “The reclaiming of the land in Everett and development of the stadium and park are particularly exciting, as it's an opportunity to restore access to a previously inaccessible waterfront. I am optimistic that a beloved institution like the New England Revolution can have a lot of impact in helping us raise the visibility of these challenges and opportunities.”
