To make a difference on Earth Day, a team of CIM Group employees gathered on the sand at Santa Monica Beach — one of Los Angeles’ most iconic shorelines, and also one of its most polluted.
The group joined forces with the Surfrider Foundation to comb the beach for litter, ultimately collecting 44 pounds of trash in a volunteer event. The effort was part of the Los Angeles-based development firm’s CIMPact initiative that encourages employees to give back through community service.
The Surfrider Foundation, a San Clemente-based nonprofit group, is dedicated to protecting the world’s oceans, waves and beaches through advocacy, education, and hands-on cleanup events like this one. Its work spans issues from plastic pollution and water quality to beach access and preservation of coastal ecosystems.
“As part of CIM Group’s ongoing commitment to communities, we were proud to collaborate with Surfrider Foundation in Santa Monica and support their vital efforts to protect and preserve our oceans and beaches,” Kyle Hatzes, CIM Group managing director and CIMPact Los Angeles regional chair, said in an email to CoStar News.
Santa Monica Beach, with its wide stretch of sand and iconic pier, attracts millions of visitors annually. But its location near dense urban development has also made it one of California’s most polluted beaches, according to nonprofit organization Heal the Bay.
Throughout 2024, CIM employees logged nearly 2,000 hours of volunteer service across 35 nonprofit organizations, the firm said — just one part of its broader push to blend urban development with environmental stewardship.