Walk showcases Sunshine State beaches

Local groups such as Volunteer Manatee and the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau joined Nov. 6 in a statewide campaign showcasing the Sunshine State’s shoreline.

Participants in the Great Visit Florida Beach Walk were assigned to walk a mile of beach between sunrise and 11 a.m. Nov. 6, taking photographs along the way to upload to a Visit Florida website.

Local participants checked in for the assignments in the walk early Nov. 6 at The Islander in Holmes Beach.

The walk on 825 miles of beach in 34 counties involved service groups, children’s organizations, schools and universities and a number of businesses.

“It’s a very eclectic group of volunteers,” said Wendy Spencer of Volunteer Florida, which worked with VISIT FLORIDA, the state’s tourism marketing organization, to create the Beach Walk

Visit Florida marketing chief Will Seccombe said the purpose of the walk was twofold — Floridians get to show off their favorite spot on the shore, as well as prove to potential vacationers that the beaches are clean.

“By sharing thousands of photos of every one of Florida’s 825 miles of beaches, we will put to rest any lingering concerns from this summer’s oil spill,” Seccombe said.

To see the Great Visit Florida Beach Walk photographs, go to www.visitflorida.com/beachwalk.

Site visitors can vote on their favorite photographs and register to win a Mazda Miata convertible and $5,000.