Clean-up campaign hits Squamish streetsSylvie [email protected]
Organizations from Britannia Beach to Brackendale are joining communities across Canada for Pitch-In week. From Monday (April 23) to Friday (April 27), dozens of volunteers will take time out of their day to make Squamish a tidier town.
"There are a number of initiatives underway every day through the week," said Pitch-In promoter John French of Carney's Waste Systems.
The Fastest Picker Contest takes place Monday (April 23) at 3:30 p.m. featuring three teams squaring off at Carson Place: Squamish Council, concerned Howe Sound Secondary students, and local reporters will be set free to pick up trash between school grounds and the Youth Centre for a short period of time. The team judged the most effective Pitch-In crew wins a trophy.
"Everyone is welcome to come and cheer on their favourite team," said French.
Tuesday (April 24) at 2 p.m. is the 20-Minute Makeover. Business owners and operators are encouraged to take 20 minutes to get outside and spend the time pitching in around their business and area.
Schools throughout the district are also pitching in - in a big way.
Don Ross Secondary staff and students will add to their usual weekly clean up routine by trucking all damaged school equipment to the dump, and by returning to the Cheekye Fan to finish clearing the area of garbage, household items and even clothes that was illegally dumped. Don Ross is also the location for the community to drop off the garbage they've collected during pitch in week.
This afternoon (April 20), more than 250 Squamish Elementary students will hit the downtown area to pick up litter in the immediately surrounding the school as well as in Dentville and the Chieftain Mall.
And on Monday (April 23) and Wednesday (April 25), Stawamus Elementary School students are going outside to pick up on two different days: at the Oceanfront lands and on Clarke Dr.
The ever-popular Free Dump Days are Saturday and Sunday, April 28 and April 29 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Last load enters the landfill at 5:30 p.m.) Residents can take unlimited loads of household waste to the Cheekye Fan dump for disposal and check out the recycling shack for discarded usable goods.
During that weekend, residents and community groups are also encouraged to clean-up by adopting a street or area in the community. All volunteers registering for Community Clean-Up Days by calling Pitch-in week's headquarters at 604 815-6868 will be provided with free garbage bags, gloves and wildflower seeds.
And to thank all pitch-in week participants, a community appreciation barbecue will be held on Sunday, April 29 from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. at the Brennan Park Recreation Centre. The Squamish Emergency Program will serve food and drinks to all the volunteers. All registered groups will receive a certificate and volunteers can enter to win prizes.
