VERO BEACH — The Merrill P. Barber Bridge is the latest venue to join Hands Across The Lagoon, a unique rally, to be held on Sat., Sept. 28, from 9-10 a.m., at eight locations from Volusia County to Martin County.
The event is being held in conjunction with National Estuary Day and is hailed as an opportunity for residents to demonstrate their support of the estuary. The goal is to have participants link hands for 15 minutes across eight causeways that span the lagoon’s 156 miles of shoreline.
Participants are encouraged to arrive by 9 a.m. and be in their places no later than 9:45 a.m. The City of Vero Beach has designated MacWilliam Park, off of Indian River Dr. east, on the north side of the east end of the Merrill P. Barber Bridge, as the preferred area for parking.
Hands Across The Lagoon is the brainchild of the Indian River Lagoon National Estuary Program and its many partners in the region. The Merrill P. Barber Bridge effort in Vero Beach is being coordinated by a collaboration of organizations, including the Indian River Community Foundation, the Indian River County Chamber of Commerce, Florida Institute of Technology, and The Lagoon Coalition.
“This is a historic event and watershed moment for the Indian River Lagoon. When we learned there were no plans to have one of the Vero Beach causeways covered, we knew we couldn’t let our community be left out,” said Kerry Bartlett, Executive Director of the Indian River Community Foundation.
“Declining lagoon conditions over the last few years have prompted a growing concern among scientists, citizens, and the business community. While many continue to study what is causing the problems and potential solutions, it is important to keep the health of the lagoon a top priority for our communities,” explained Penny Chandler, Executive Director of the Indian River County Chamber of Commerce.
“The Indian River Lagoon is a $4 billion economic driver, not to mention the most biologically diverse estuary in the United States. The health of the lagoon has a significant impact on the health of our economy. This event, and other similar events, during National Estuaries Week, is a great way to help educate our communities about the importance of the lagoon,” added Chandler.
In Indian River County, the events will take place at the Merrill P. Barber Bridge location at SR 60 and the Wabasso Causeway on CR 510, which is hosted by the Environmental Learning Center.
Other Hands Across The Lagoon events are being held at the New Smyrna South Causeway, Max Brewer Causeway in Titusville, Kiwanis Island Park in Merritt Island, Melbourne Causeway, South Bridge Causeway in Ft. Pierce, and the Stuart Causeway.
All events begin at 9 a.m., and participants are asked to be in their places no later than 9:45 a.m. so that organizers can capture the moment with video and photographs.
For more information about this event, please contact the Indian River Community Foundation at (772) 492-1407 or the Indian River Lagoon National Estuary Program at (321) 722-5363.