Sailors from Naval Base Kitsap Bangor joined students from Central Kitsap School District Schools to help cleanup the shores of the Dyes Inlet in Silverdale on Friday, June 1st, in the 17th Annul Water for Life Cleanup Project.

More than 200 Sailors from various commands, who participated in the voluntary event, joined 400 local elementary grade students from seven different schools in the half-day event.

“We basically just walked up and down the beaches picking up as much trash and debris as we can,” said Electronic Technician 2nd Class (SS) Jeremy Hunt. “This is a great way for us as sailors to give back to the community and more importantly act as role models for these students.”

Participants were broken up into seven different teams with a mix number of students and sailors in each group, and were assigned to various key locations throughout Dyes Inlet shores. Once at their designated area the students and sailors further spilt up to more individual teams to allow them to interact.

Navy Counselor 1st Class (SS/SW) Brooks Wakefield, one of the event’s team captains, said he personally enjoyed interacting and working with the students.

“The kids (students) were great, they were the hardest working group out here,” he said. “It’s been fun for us and them trying to find and pick up trash. Hopefully we (Sailors) can make positive impact on them as they have on us.”

This year’s clean-up event is in honor of Senior Chief William Hibbs, who was killed in an auto accident earlier this year. Hibbs was the the former PECE (Personal Excellence through Cooperative Education) Coordinator for the Navy, a partnership between various Navy commands and the local area school districts to enhance education for our children.

“‘The ‘Water for Life’ event is the finale culmination for our PECE program which has been an on-going community project for months now,” said Senior Chief Master-at-Arms (SS) Deo Pineda. “It’s really a privileged to me, to be able to work side-by-side with sailors who are working for something positive for the environment and community and more importantly the children. After all this park is a place were leaving for them, and hope they can educate future generations on what we did here today.”

After clean-up period, students and their Navy partners met up at the Silverdale Beach Hotel for lunch provided and sponsored by the hotel.

At the end of the day, the joint student and Sailor teams who brought the longest, largest, heaviest and most unusual pieces of debris were awarded trophies presented by Lt. Cmdr. Kat Schneirla, Commander Navy Region Northwest Transient Personnel Unit (TPU).

“The Central Kitsap school group would like to just say thank you to US Navy for their partnership and effort in this great program” said Richard Best, Facilities Director for Central Kitsap School District and event Organizer. “We couldn’t do this without them; the Navy has made a very positive impact on the community today.”