Chili’s kicked off Earth Month with coastal cleanup and $5K donation
Chili’s Puerto Rico began April, which is Earth Month, with a coastal cleanup in Loíza’s Puente Herrera beach area, gathering more than 2,000 pounds of trash. In partnership with the Scuba Dogs Society (SDS), a nonprofit focused on environmental protection since 1993, the cleanup involved more than 40 volunteers, including Chili’s employees and business partners.
The restaurant chain also donated $5,000 to SDS to support its mission of promoting environmental awareness and conservation, which is what Earth Month is all about.
In a press release, Artur Jotic, president of International Restaurant Services (IRSI), Chili’s Puerto Rico’s parent company, spoke of the importance of corporate responsibility in caring for the environment. He said that “Chili’s is committed to creating a sustainable future for generations to come in Puerto Rico.”
Puente Herrera is a natural area in Loíza where SDS has carried out cleanup and community education activities for years. Recently, the site has benefited from additional efforts through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Marine Debris Program.
Sandra Schleier-Hernández, a marine biologist and coordinator of SDS Programs, explained that despite its beauty, the area has been misused as a “clandestine dump.” However, the nonprofit continues working to restore the site for recreation and to attract visitors to nearby Villa Pesquera and its businesses.
In the release, Schleier-Hernández thanked Chili’s for its initiative, which marked the beginning of a series of Earth Month activities led by SDS. She praised Chili’s for its first cleanup, urging it to continue its efforts and expressing gratitude for the volunteer work and donation.
The funds, she said, will support education programs “that seek to foment a culture of harmony with nature to integrate human beings with their socioecological environment.”
