LA JOLLA, Calif. – On the beautiful, sunny morning of November 7^th, UC San Diego's Triton Athletes' Council (TAC) and scholar-athletes from a variety of teams gathered at Kellogg Park to participate in an organized beach clean-up. The student-athletes were given clean-up materials, such as paper bags and gloves, and assisted with keeping San Diego beaches sustainable and spotless. The beach clean-up was initially put together by Community Service Committee Head Isabel Lavrov, who has excelled in hosting similar events in the past with amazing turnout. This time, UC San Diego's scholar-athletes aimed to contribute to the Big West Conference SAAC Fall initiative, which oriented itself around the theme of "sustainability." It is no wonder why, as TAC leaders in San Diego, E-Board settled on bringing the fun to the beach. TAC President, Bobbi Aguirre, and Publicity Committee Head, Derek Brajevich, generously answered some questions regarding the mission, success, and highlights of the event.

Aguirre and Brajevich confidently agree that the beach clean-up was a major success. "So many different teams showed up, picked up a lot of trash, and overall enjoyed a nice walk on the beach," Aguirre stated.

Not only did the event pose as a wonderful means to making a sustainable change in our community, but it also provided the 30+ students who attended an opportunity to mingle and meander. "A number of beachgoers approached me and inquired as to what I was doing, and I was able to fill them in a bit on the event and TAC itself," Brajevich explained. "Those who I spoke to made it known how appreciative they were, with a few even deciding they'd like to organize one themselves."

Whether student-athletes completed the clean-up to contribute toward the Big West Fall Initiative or lead-by-example while encouraging San Diego locals to take on similar initiatives, it is undeniable that the event succeeded in every way.

As TAC continues to work hard and close out this fall quarter, Aguirre and Brajevich remind their fellow scholar-athletes all that there are exciting events rounding the corner. Make sure to keep up with the latest TAC news as the canned food drive and annual Adopt-A-Family event approach. The canned food drive will allow TAC to give every donation to UC San Diego's very own UC San Diego food pantry.

As Aguirre describes it, "Our Adopt-A-Family event is also an amazing event in which all of our athletic teams are paired with one another and assigned families for which they buy presents and provide with other necessities during the holiday season."

What better way to spread joy than with presents and pantry re-stocking? Keep up the great work, Tritons!

Silverman works for the Athletic Communications staff and is a member of the UC San Diego women's rowing team.

About UC San Diego Athletics
After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program has begun a new era as a member of the Big West Conference in NCAA Division I. The 23-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions II and III and helped guide 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 83 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 38 have garnered prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 91 percent, one of the highest rates among institutions at all divisions. For more information on the Tritons, visit UCSDtritons.com or follow UC San Diego Athletics on social media @UCSDtritons.