JUNO BEACH, Fla. — A beach cleanup was held Sunday to celebrate the birthday of a young boy who went missing at sea in 2015.
Perry Cohen was just 14 years old when he was last seen leaving the Jupiter Inlet, along with a friend, on his friend’s boat.
In honor of Cohen’s birthday, which was on January 30, over 100 people joined the Perry J. Cohen foundation to pick up trash at Juno Beach.
“It’s very fulfilling for us to have so many people come out, willing to take their Sunday morning and do a good cleanup for a great cause,” said Pamela Cohen, Perry’s mother.
From cigarette butts to paper cups, participants used buckets and pickers to pick up the trash.
Pamela said Perry spent many days at Juno Beach, surfing and fishing.
She said she prefers celebrating his life doing something good for the community on his birthday than mourning his loss.
“It’s very fulfilling and rewarding because it’s something that would really make Perry happy,” said Cohen. “It’s something that he would be going out to if he was here, always wanting to help the environment and help clean up the beaches that he loves so much. So, it’s really wonderful.”
Cohen says they plan to have more events, including more beach cleanups, to honor Perry and his love for the ocean.