Olympian Kanoa Igarashi and Rosario Dawson at the 3rd Annual Shiseido Blue Beach Clean-up.
HUNTINGTON BEACH, CA (LA ELEMENTS) 8/14/2023 – “I was very excited to come here. This is the third year in a row now that Shiseido Blue Project and World Surf League One Ocean have come together. They created themselves separately and together are able to do beach cleanup and coral restoration. They’ve been doing it worldwide, but they also are doing it here for the past three years at the US Open for surfing. And it’s just beautiful,” says actress and activist Rosario Dawson (Haunted Mansion, Ahsoka).
Wednesday, August 2, 2023, marked the third year SHISEIDO Blue Project alongside WSL One Ocean and WILDCOAST have teamed up to host the West Coast beach clean-up. This year, Rosario Dawson hosted the festivities to bring a continued much needed spotlight on preserving our ocean’s cleanliness and overall protection. The SHISEIDO Blue Project was started in 2019. Its purpose is to be a global effort to promote the protection of our ocean. The partnership with the World Surf League (WSL) aims to promote respect for our oceans through activities like cleaning up beaches, coral restoration, and promoting ocean and sun-safe habits. WILDCOAST is an international team that conserves coastal and marine ecosystems and addresses climate change through natural solutions. Their involvement with SHISEIDO Blue Project and WSL was a natural move since everyone has the same goal: Save and improve the environment while simultaneously educating the masses on how they can be part of the solution.
“We’re protecting our joy when we’re cleaning up our nature and our environment,” says Dawson. “When these spills happen and when these natural disasters happen, and you know we are finding that we’re culpable in those problems, we are devastating our own opportunity to experience joy and beauty, and happiness, and love in all. Because this is beautiful and yet we are disgracing it in so many different ways. We are being taught to do that. That is negligible like it’s not important and I’m just so grateful for your work at WILDCOAST, I’m so grateful for this partnership that’s been going on between WSL and Shiseido. I think it’s a really important thing for every company, every person. we all need hands — all hands-on deck to make a difference.”
This year’s beach clean-up hosted by Rosario Dawson on behalf of SHISEIDO in partnership with World Surf League’s One Ocean initiative, took place in Huntington Beach. The event coordinated with the 2023 US Open of Surfing. Many people showed up to lend their support to the initiative and learn how to better take care of the environment starting with cleaning up the beach.
Rosario Dawson’s personal investment in helping the environment made her the perfect host for this year’s beach clean-up. She is the founder and president of Rio Dawn Foundation which supports the Social Impact Fund. Rosario Dawson was also featured in the Tribeca Film Festival prize-winning documentary, Common Ground. Common Ground is directed by Josh and Rebecca Tickell and features Laura Dern, Jason Momoa, Woody Harrelson, Ian Somerhalder, Donald Glover, Rosario Dawson, Mark Hyman, Gabe Brown, and many others. This documentary provides hope for future generations with real ways to fix a broken planetary system. The film also explores how regenerative agriculture can help heal the soil, our health and the planet.
“You know it has been generations that have put us in the precarious situation that we’re in,” observes Dawson. “It’s gonna necessitate us being really conscious and thoughtful about engaging and finding moments where we can all come together and have fun and gain competition and express ourselves and we can delight in the achievements and capabilities of human beings. When you see someone surfing and you appreciate the power of the ocean and that relationship between a surfer and that board and that water it’s one of the most miraculous things you can see. You can just appreciate it. It’s just overwhelming.”
This beach clean-up at Huntington Beach really brought the community together for a great cause. The crowds in attendance were excited to help and were inspired to learn and take action for the #WSL OneOcean initiative. Beach clean-ups reduce litter and protect critical habitats for wildlife. They also help raise awareness about other issues in our oceans and galvanize communities to care.
All photography courtesy of Jennifer Johnson.
For more information on the Shiseido Blue Project, World Surf League One Ocean and Wildcoast, please visit their sites.
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