‘Cleaning up her home:’ Saturday’s Hilton Head beach cleanup honors memory of Charli
UPDATE: Organizers of this event announced Wednesday it was being postponed. This story will be updated with more information as it becomes available.
A beach clean up is planned for Hilton Head Island on Saturday morning to honor an 11-year-old “island girl” who was killed crossing U.S. 278 in 2018.
“We will return to her favorite place on earth to celebrate her life, be together, enjoy the environment and clean up litter,” the event’s description says.
The second annual folly clean up event is scheduled for 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday.
People wishing to participate should report to Chaplin Park to get a free trash bag. The clean up will be on Burkes Beach near the folly that connects to the ocean.
Since their daughter’s death, Bobinchuck’s parents have lobbied the Town of Hilton Head Island for lighting at intersections where pedestrians cross U.S. 278. A street light planned for the Yacht Cove intersection is a prototype for other lighting on the island.
Wear blue for Charli
Bobinchuck’s childhood friends are encouraging participants to wear blue for the event to honor Charli.
Naiara Alvarez, 13, said it was her friend’s favorite color. The two knew each other starting in kindergarten.
“She was very kind and bubbly person and a good person to be around,” Alvarez said. “She really helped everybody smile.”
Alvarez has been posting on Snapchat to get the word out about the folly clean up to her Hilton Head Middle School friends. She said going back to the folly each year is special for her.
“It was one of her favorite places,” Alvarez said, “so I think that going back and cleaning it up for her is kind of cleaning up her home.”
This story was originally published June 24, 2020 at 12:11 PM.
