By Alyssa Esposito and Tracy Agnew

Staff Writers

 

Volunteers from a variety of businesses spread out across Hampton Roads on Friday for the annual United Way Day of Caring.

Seven organizations in Suffolk benefited from several sets of extra hands.

At the Chuckatuck Creek, command staff from the Suffolk Police Department spent the morning cleaning “Taylor floats” for oysters, as well as the oysters themselves, to help out the Nansemond River Preservation Alliance.

The department has helped the preservation alliance with this project for the past four years. “They just bring a tremendous amount of talent, and are really helpful,” said Elizabeth Taraski, executive director of the Nansemond River Preservation Alliance.

“The department enjoys doing community service any way (we) can,” said Amanda Morean, command staff secretary. She considers it a “very educational experience.”

It was the first time at the event for Capt. T.A. Smith. “I think it’s in our nature to want to help and give back,” he said of police officers.

The helpers spent the morning taking baby oysters, that the preservation alliance has been raising, out of their nets and habitat cubes. The habitat cubes keep the oysters safe from being eaten or buried in the mud.

Without the help of the Suffolk Police Force, it could take several hours for one person to clean just one of the devices used to hold the oysters, NRPA members said. It’s important to complete the task twice a year because of the algae, barnacles and mud that form on the habitat cubes.

Once the job is complete, the preservation alliance will take the oysters to a nearby reef. Some of the members didn’t expect to get to it on Friday, but by the end of their time there, they had moved some of the oysters to the reef.

Downtown, a group of about a dozen faculty, staff and students from Tidewater Community College helped pick up trash at Market Park, along part of the Seaboard Coastline Trail and along North Main Street.

Danica Waggoner, a student in a paralegal program at TCC, got involved through her position with Phi Theta Kappa, a student honor society.

“I thought it would be a good way to get out an do something for the community,” she said.

Other project sites included the Children’s Harbor, the YMCA, Children’s Center, ForKids and Sleepy Hole Park. Volunteers came from Bon Secours, Sentara, Geico, the YMCA, Citi Commercial Cards, Swimways Corporation, BASF and Cherry Bekaert LLP.