Joseph Villacrusis picks up trash in a beach area. Contributed photo
The two own Salty Skin Pacific Salty Skin, which aims to be “the first clothing brand on island to fully dedicate its efforts and sales toward ocean conservation.”
“It all started a little over a year ago when a couple of my friends and I would run along the beach as part of our training and we noticed that there was a lot of trash along the shore,” Lee said in an interview with Variety. “So, one day, we decided that every time we run [on] the beach, we would bring a trash bag with us and pick up whatever trash we could on our way back.”
Lee said despite the “negative side” of the Covid-19 pandemic, “it has also brought much needed positive effects.”
He added, “It allows Mother Earth to heal itself even for a little bit of time. It has also allowed community members to focus on their health more than on materialistic things.”
Through social media, Lee and Villacrusis have also decided to challenge people to run at least two miles on the beach and pick up trash while doing so. Their challenge has gained a lot of attention on social media.
