Office Chair Cleanup: Neighbors, Friends Sweep Away Leftover Water Balloons, Debris on Fourth of July

During San Clemente’s yearly Fourth of July tradition that is the Office Chair Races, neighborhood residents, friends and other spectators line the streets of Avenida Victoria and Avenida Rosa, where they launch water balloons at each other, but particularly at those racing down the street in modified office and lounge chairs, tricycles, skateboards and, sometimes, couches or beds on wheels.

But what happens when the crowd disperses to celebrate Independence Day elsewhere? The thousands of balloons used get left behind for the neighborhood to clean up before polluting the ocean.

“People bring a lot of balloons and then immediately leave, so it’s a super bummer, because Victoria Street goes straight in the ocean,” Emily Leifer, 28 said, adding: “I think it’s all fun and games until there’s a bunch of trash on our street.”

“And you can’t pick up everything, because usually you have to pick up the pieces by hand,” she added. “They’re wet, so they’re stuck to the ground. So, unless you have a leaf blower, or like a broom, it’s pretty hard to clean up.”

For 46-year-old Kalani Robb, he views the collective effort of the neighborhood to work together cleaning up after the races as a testament to the kindhearted nature of the town.

“All of us neighbors, we don’t always speak, because everyone has jobs, (but) this is something we all do together,” he said.

Leifer said she would just love for many of those who came out to enjoy the races to stay a bit longer and help sweep up the balloons.

“It could be a fun time. I’m happy—I’m happy to like to play some music, have a whole cleanup party,” she said. “It doesn’t have to be such a bummer; I think it would just be great if there were more hands on deck, ’cause it takes a long time.” SC

(Clockwise from left) San Clemente resident Robert Anderson, 60, and Latorre sweep up balloons while 46-year-old Kalina Robb collects them into a dustpan before dumping them into a bucket.

The differing groups of neighborhood residents and their friends begin to merge during the postraces cleanup, coming together at the five-way intersection and finish line.