The primary function of Friends of Padre is to fund and organize the annual Billy Sandifer Big Shell Beach Cleanup in perpetuity. Beginning in 1995, the Big Shell Beach Cleanup occurs once a year in the Big Shell portion of the Padre Island National Seashore (PINS). Each year, hundreds of volunteers dedicate a Saturday to removing trash from this 10-mile stretch of beach. Since its inception, over 7350 volunteers have removed 2,556,000 pounds of trash from this remote and wild stretch of 4 Wheel Drive Only beach.
