Supporters unite against offshore drilling

DAUPHIN ISLAND, Ala. (WALA) - Hands Across the Sand encourages everyone to gather on the beaches Saturday to unite against offshore drilling. Beach goers are asked to gather at Noon in your time zone and hold hands for 15 minutes. Local beaches participating are Fairhope, Pensacola, Gulf Shores, and Dauphin Island on Fort Gaines Beach.

The movement started in Florida in February, 2010. Supporters came together on 90 beaches in the Sunshine State and joined hands to protest the efforts by the Florida Legislature and the US Congress to lift the ban on oil drilling off the Florida coast.

Florida’s Hands Across The Sand event was the largest gathering in the history of Florida united against expanding oil drilling into Florida’s waters. Events were held from Jacksonville to Miami Beach and Key West to Pensacola Beach.

After the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon in the following April, the organization went Global. On June 26, 2010, it became the largest gathering of people in the history of the world united against expanding offshore oil drilling and championing clean energy and renewables according to the organization. The organization states that more than 1000 events were held worldwide last June.