About Us

About a decade ago, I took my then-toddler sons to Clover Park daily, and I was struck by the amount of litter in the play area. I called the city of Santa Monica to see if they could send someone out a couple of times a week to clean up. After two or three weeks and several calls to the city, I decided to do it myself.

I bought a 32-inch EZ-Grabber and fashioned a trash bag holder from a wire coat hanger. I started picking up litter at the playground every day. After a while, some of the moms started to call me “Trash Dad,” which, to this day, I hope referred to me picking up litter.

Next, I began picking up trash on our way to and from the playground each day. Then I started walking down Ocean Park Blvd. from the OP Cafe to 17th St. every Friday, picking up litter. Then I started going to the beach every weekend and picking up trash from Perry’s at the end of Ocean Park Blvd. up to the pier. When walking, I almost never left the house without my trash-picking tools.

I believe I’m at least couple of thousand Hefty Strong 13-Gallon Tall Kitchen Trash Bags into this effort. I’ve had quite a few people ask me why I was picking up trash, including a teenager who asked me why I was doing community service.

Rembering the words of wisdom my high school counselor, Father Martin Hagan, “Many hands make light work”, I decided to enlist the help of other members of the community. That led to this: the birth of The Santa Monica Beauty Project.

Jimmy Patton