Thousands hold hands across the sand in protest of offshore drilling

ST. PETERSBURG BEACH, Fla. - It was a unified effort that stretched across Treasure Island, St. Pete Beach and more than 800 other cities across the globe.

Organizers call it “Hands Across the Sands”. For Larry and Betsy Spiess it was about taking a stand.

"All the wildlife, our beaches, and our environment," Larry said.

"It's getting our point across and that's what we want," Betsy said.

What this entire group is calling for today is an end to offshore drilling and a push for renewable sources of energy. So they stood side by side, hand in hand, for 15 minutes for a cause of many the people say they supported long before the Gulf oil spill began; a spill that's not only affecting the environment but the economy.

Keith Osterman owns the Tradewinds Beach Resort on St. Pete Beach.

"Our resort alone is down a million-7 in that time period and we believe mostly due to the oil spill," Osterman said.

And there is concern it will only get worse. The water splashing on St. Pete Beach Saturday was crystal clear, the sand sugar white. But, a massive oil spilling is still looming in the Gulf, growing at 100,000 barrels a day.

Along with the calls for clean and renewable sources of energy there was also a renewed call for a special legislative session to get a constitutional amendment banning oil drilling three miles off of Florida's coast. That’s something Governor Charlie Crist called for several weeks ago, but the state legislature has yet to act on.