Save the Date: Hands Across the Sand Happens on February 13th, 2010

Thousands of Floridians from all walks of life will gather on beaches from Pensacola to Key West and Miami to Jacksonville Feb. 13, 2010, in a statewide coastal protest against legislative proposals to open Florida's waters to offshore oil drilling.

The event will also take place in Tallahassee at the old capitol building as a symbolic "beach."

Anyone can join in to be part of Hands Across the Sand, which is the brainchild of Dave Rauschkolb, who owns Bud & Alley's restaurant in the North Florida community of  Seaside.

"This is a simple, nonpartisan way for Floridians to join hands in an effort to protect our state's most important asset – our waterways and beaches," Rauschkolb said. "Our goal is to convince legislators and Gov. Charlie Crist to drop the folly of offshore oil drilling.  All it takes is one accident -- one oil spill -- and it is just not worth the risk to our environment and our coastal tourism industry."

All you have to do: Go to their local beach at 1 pm Eastern Standard Time, for an hour, rain or shine. At 1:30 pm, hold hands creating human lines in the sand protesting oil drilling in Florida's waters.  It is as simple as that. To find out what's being organized in your area, visit Hands Across the Sand.

For more information on the case against drilling, visit protectfloridasbeaches.org.