With global thoughts on the recent BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, local residents are being asked to join hands on the beach this Saturday morning as a statement against offshore drilling. The demonstration event dubbed Hands Across the Sand will be held in Ocean Beach on Saturday, June 26 at 11:30 a.m. “We want to send the message that we are against offshore drilling and nearshore drilling and we are for clean energy alternatives,” said Donna Wolf, executive committee member with Surfrider San Diego. Those attending the OB Street Fair & Chili Cook-Off can head out to the Ocean Beach site at the ase of the OB Pier. For more information, visit www.handsacrossthesand.org. “It’s a community event. It’s not political or affiliated with anything,” Wolf said. “It’s simply about being a member of your community, being a member of nature and getting out with your fellow man and making a stand.” Hands Across the Sand was started in October by a Florida resident and beachside restaurant owner in order to send the message to the state to keep a ban in place on offshore drilling. On Saturday, people in 46 states and 16 countries will participate in the now-global event. “This is something we should all be passionate about because it has to do with the health of our environment, which ultimately has to do with our own health as well,” Wolf said. “If our environment is not healthy, we can’t be healthy.” The event comes less than two months after the BP oil-rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico that has resulted in one of the largest oil spills in history. In addition to holding hands, event participants will draw physical and metaphorical lines in the sand as an anti-drilling demonstration. “We’re drawing a line in the sand and saying no more. We’ve been opposed to offshore drilling and the dangers of it for years and this is exactly the reason why,” Wolf said. “What’s happening in the Gulf is going to take years for the ecosystem and the economy and the lifestyles of the people who are affected to recover from.” Locally, Wolf said there are oil reserves off the coast of San Diego that were once pursued by energy companies. She said even if a major leak or spill didn’t occur at these sites, the offshore drilling would present a daily harm to the local environment. “There are usually minor spills that happen throughout the rig’s life that are extremely detrimental to not only the coastal community, but the marine life that’s out there as well,” Wolf said. “All that ultimately affects the coast and the people living here.” Hands Across the Sand also aims to promote alternative energy sources to lessen the world’s dependence on fossil fuels. Wolf said a simple way for people to limit their use of oil is not using items such single-use plastic bags and water bottles, which are petroleum-based plastics. “To use that bottle once and toss it away, it’s a shame. It’s a shame all that petroleum and everything to make it and then the fact that it never goes away completely,” Wolf said. “If people could reduce or eliminate their single-use plastic use, that would help reduce our dependence on oil.”