Hands across the sand organizers to span Anna Maria Island

Local Hands Across the Sand organizer Caryn Hodge wants to have one continuous line of people holding hands from the southern end of Anna Maria Island to the northern end of the island, spanning 7 miles of shoreline showing solidarity for clean energy efforts. Hands Across the Sand is a national grassroots effort of citizens, business owners and elected officials uniting on beaches nationwide to support clean energy now and to say no to offshore drilling.

On June 26 at 11 a.m. Hodge will be at the end of Pine Avenue on North Anna Maria by the Sandbar Restaurant. The time people will be holding hands nationwide is from 12 p.m. to 12:15 p.m. Hodge has contacted aerial photographers and videographers who will be taking aerial shots of the event.

Key locations to meet are the Manatee Public Beach at the end of Manatee Avenue, 78th Street in Holmes Beach, 30th Street in Holmes Beach, the beach in front of the Beachhouse Restaurant and the beach in front of the Sandbar Restaurant.  Also, anyone interested in helping to organize a group of people or just interested in coming out to join a group is asked to contact Hodge at 713-3105 or carynhodge@yahoo.com.