More than 130 volunteers from Newport News Shipbuilding fanned out to sites across the area to support the company’s annual Earth Day cleanup Monday afternoon.

Shipbuilders gathered to clean up in front of the shipyard gates along Washington Avenue, the Huntington Park beachfront, Oakland Industrial Park, Oyster Point Industrial Park, Bldg. 600 and the Newport News Green Foundation’s Sarfan Food Forest. More than 1,600 pounds of trash was collected across all sites.

Corey Dixon (O27) was site coordinator for the Sarfan Food Forest, which is intended to address food scarcity in the area and promote the environmental benefits of productive green space.

“It’s been a great turnout. We have a good amount of representation from Newport News Shipbuilding helping to support the Earth Day cleanup, and we’re doing a great job picking up trash and protecting the environment,” he said.

Kendall Lippert (A572) volunteered at the Sarfan Food Forest with fellow shipbuilders from the Virginia Tech Alumni Steering Committee.

“We’re a group of Virginia Tech alumni who get together and coordinate and plan events to strengthen the alumni network in the shipyard,” she said. “We also try to recruit and retain employees from Virginia Tech, including new graduates.”

Lippert said it’s important for shipbuilders to be active in the community, given the significant impact the company has on the region.

“Volunteering just makes me feel good, and I like to give back to the community,” she said.

Alexandra Wilson (E85) was among the shipbuilders who volunteered to clean up around the shipyard gates. “I’m out here today with a couple of my best friends cleaning the streets of the shipyard, and I think we can see a major difference before and after. So I’m glad to be a part of this,” she said.