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| From left: Sisters Fiona and Stella Rupert and their mother Deanna walk on Gwangalli Beach in Busan which they cleaned on Oct. 5 after typhoon Chaba wrecked it. / Yonhap |
By Hong Dam-young
An American family who voluntarily cleaned Busan's Gwangalli Beach that was wrecked by deadly typhoon "Chaba" this month will receive an award for their service to the community.
The city's Suyeong-gu District Office said on Monday that it would present Deanna Rupert, 38, and her two daughters, Fiona, 11, and Stella, 5, with an "award certificate for foreign residents" to honor what they did.
The three Americans -- who live near the beach -- and a group of Koreans cleaned up the beach for more than four hours on Oct. 5. They had brought their own equipment.
"Fiona told me the beach was our neighborhood, and that it was our duty to clean it up and protect its environment," said her mother, according to Yonhap news agency.
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| Deanna and Stella Rupert clean up garbage on Gwangalli beach using their own cleaning equipment. / Yonhap |
The family has lived in the city since 2009 and moved to the district last July.
The Americans' story was revealed because a passer-by took a picture of them working.
The photo was spread on social media, prompting netizens to track down the Americans.
Ms Rupert, from Wisconsin, is an elementary teacher at Busan International Foreign School.
The award ceremony will take place on Oct. 30.
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