Volunteers gather at Padre Island to honor Uvalde victim Maite Rodriguez with a beach clean-up.
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Several people gathered Saturday morning on Padre Island for a special beach clean-up in memory of Maite Rodriguez, one of the victims of the Uvalde school shooting.
Maite had dreams of attending Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi to become a marine biologist. Now, her family honors her each year with this event.
Among the volunteers were Jaiden and Marceline Thomas, who said keeping Maite’s memory alive is important, not just for the family, but for the community as a whole.
“It really means a lot, especially for me. Maite is my sister’s age, so it hits harder,” said Jaiden and Marceline Thomas. “I can imagine – that could have been my sister. But I love seeing everyone come together to honor Maite. It’s really heartwarming to see that these people care and want change. They want people to know her story.”
Others at the event said the beach clean-up isn’t just about picking up trash, it’s also about finding support and building a sense of community.
“You shouldn’t be nervous, because everyone is out here doing everything and they want to be your friend and they want to work with you,” said Brandon Carrier. “That’s what everyone does when it comes to the beach clean-up.”
The event served as a powerful reminder that even small actions, like collecting trash, can keep a memory alive and help create lasting change.
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