LAGUNA BEACH – About 30 Bernie Sanders supporters rallied Sunday at Main Beach to keep the Vermont senator’s presidential hopes alive, despite the fact that he’s no longer running and he endorsed Hillary Clinton.

“We’re endorsing Bernie to show the DNC that he is their strongest candidate,” said Laguna Beach resident Beth Leeds, who organized the rally. Leeds, who celebrated her 75th birthday Sunday, is a longtime community activist who co-founded the Laguna Canyon Conservancy and fought to keep development out of the canyon.

The rally was part of a nationwide effort. Rallies were held Sunday in Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, St. Louis and elsewhere.

The group gathered at Ocean Avenue and Coast Highway holding signs. Many drivers honked in support, and some onlookers looked perplexed.

Some motorists yelled, “Donald J. Trump!”

“I’m 72 and I’ve never done anything like this before,” said Jean Folkestad of Huntington Beach. “I’m a died-in-the-wool Bernie fan. I hope the DNC listens to him.”

Folkestad said she and others at the rally will be glued to their TVs to hear what Sanders might say about the latest email scandal and the resignation of Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz.

At one point, Leeds led rally participants in a human wave.

“And we all got educated that Bernie is speaking tomorrow,” she said of the Democratic National Convention’s opening night today.

Staff writer Joshua Sudock contributed to this report.

Contact the writer: 714-796-2254 or eritchie@ocregister.com or on Twitter:@lagunaini