An active group of volleyball players is rallying awareness about the city’s plan to haul away the beach fire pits the city can no longer afford to maintain. The San Diego Beach Improvement Group (B.I.G.) plans to survey 100,000 people in San Diego, as well as tourists from other cities, by May 20 to determine if the public supports the fire pits. B.I.G. hopes supporters will donate money to maintain the fire pits since the city dropped the program from its 2010-11 budget. B.I.G. Executive Director Laura Hendrickson said someone had to take the bull by the horns on the issue. “I’m not attached to the outcome,” Hendrickson said. “I just want to put it out there and see what happens.” Those interested may fill out the survey at sandiegobig.org. If the community shows support for the beach fire pits, B.I.G. aims to raise $120,000 to maintain them for the next fiscal year. It costs the city $120,500 annually to maintain the fire pits since two full-time employees are required to clear ash and debris from the cement blocks with a front loader and dump truck, according to the city’s Fire Pit Program website. The city set up the website to raise private funds to maintain the fire pits next year, and the site has garnered $2,576 so far. B.I.G.’s overall mission is to support beach amenities important to the public. The group began its philanthropy in 1996 with the desire to care for the South Mission Beach basketball and volleyball courts. Since 2002, B.I.G. has spent an estimated $2,000 annually on nets, lines and poles for the volleyball court, Hendrickson said. In 1997, B.I.G. resurfaced the South Mission basketball court and hoops at a total cost of $8,300. Hendrickson formed B.I.G. into an official non-profit in 2007. Recently, BIG surveyed Mission Beach residents to find out whether the community wanted more bike racks, and received a 50-50 response, Hendrickson said. B.I.G. meets the second Wednesday of the month at 7 p.m. in the Pacific Beach Recreation Center at 1405 Diamond St. May 12 is the next meeting. For more information visit sandiegobig.org.