From Yoga to “Trashure Hunting”: Nordic Naturals Turns Rio Del Mar Beach Cleanup into Community Celebration

California Coastal Cleanup Day (Sept. 20) is going big at Rio Del Mar Beach this year — with a beachside yoga session, latte art, photo booth, local food trucks, and a statewide “Trashure Hunt” offering prizes like entertainment tickets, gift cards, hotel stays, and more. Nordic Naturals, the nation’s #1 selling omega-3 brand^‡ headquartered in Watsonville, is hosting the Rio Del Mar Beach cleanup event as part of the annual cleanup initiative in partnership with the California Coastal Commission and Save Our Shores.

“We’re excited to roll up our sleeves alongside our neighbors to help keep our local beaches clean and healthy,” said Harmony Merloni, ACN, Experiential Marketing Manager at Nordic Naturals. “As a trusted wellness company and the #1 selling omega-3 brand in the U.S., the health of the ocean and healthy people are at the core of what we do.^‡ This beach cleanup event is a welcome chance to bring people of all ages together to help clean up the coast and have some fun in the process – with yoga, music, great food, and a shared sense of community. It turns out, picking up trash is actually pretty fun, and seeing our combined efforts come together at the end of the cleanup day is really rewarding.”

Nordic Naturals, a Brown Pelican Sponsor of California Coastal Cleanup Day, is inviting the community to join hundreds of team members on Saturday, September 20, for the following activities:

• 8:30 a.m. — Volunteer check-in begins at the popular beach spot located near exit 433B from CA-1 N. Kick off the morning in movement and mindfulness with a free oceanfront yoga class. BaristArt will begin creating custom lattes with hand-drawn foam art throughout the event.
• 9 a.m.–Noon — Volunteers will be provided with tools to clean up the beach. Throughout the event, volunteers can also participate in the statewide “Trashure Hunt” in partnership with the California Coastal Commission for the chance to win exciting prizes such as gift cards to local hotels, restaurants, and more.
• Noon–2 p.m. — The closing celebration for volunteers includes lunch from local food trucks, offering complimentary lunch for volunteers with event wristbands, while supplies last. Event festivities also include a photo booth, Nordic Naturals swag and product samples and educational tables.

Volunteers are encouraged to RSVP at www.eventbrite.com.

The event will also welcome 22 winners from Nordic Naturals’ recent Ride the Wave competition, in which over 1,400 retailers and healthcare practitioners across the nation participated in a competitive sales initiative. Winners received an all-expenses-paid trip to attend the cleanup event, a tour of Nordic Naturals’ headquarters, and a chance to explore local attractions. This year’s honorees include retailers Fresh Thyme (Downers Grove, Ill.), Earth Fare (Asheville, N.C.), Sprouts Farmers Market (Phoenix, Ariz.), and California-based grocers Lazy Acres and New Leaf Community Markets, along with healthcare practitioners across several medical modalities, including Pharmacy, Eye Health, Chiropractic, and Integrative & Functional Medicine. Practitioner winners include Crossroads Pharmacy (Maryland), Los Gatos Eye Care (California), Advanced Family Chiro (Washington), and Roosevelt Vision (Utah). Proceeds from the Ride the Wave initiative support the California Coastal Commission.

A listing of all California Coastal Cleanup event activities, including Nordic Naturals’ event at Rio Del Mar Beach, are available at www.coastal.ca.gov. Learn more about Nordic Naturals at www.nordic.com.