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The 13th Annual Spring Up to Clean Up launch was held Friday with more than 100 businesses and offices taking part in the city‘s 20-Minute Makeover. At 10 a.m., staff and management at workplaces all over the city stepped outside for 20 minutes to clean up litter from around their neighbourhoods. The Spring Up to Clean Up campaign began with one young girl‘s dismay at the amount of garbage in city parks, and 13 years later, the City of Thunder Bay continues to sponsor the community-wide cleanup in partnership with EcoSuperior. “Spring Up volunteers are very proud of our city,” said EcoSuperior‘s project co-ordinator Karen Copeland. “Ten thousand participants picked up trash from over 225 neighbourhoods, roadsides, schoolyards, parks and recreation trails last year. “(And) we already have close to 9,000 people registered for this year, with new groups signing on every day. This is a great example of the power of many individuals making a big difference.” At the main launch event in the Heart of the Harbour, the 20-Minute Makeover was kicked off with speeches by Mayor Lynn Peterson, city roads division manager John Husiak, and Heart of the Harbour board vice-chairman Lorraine Cull, followed by music by Tracy K & Jamie Steinhoff, and Jackson Kohne. “The enthusiasm surrounding the spring cleanup is very inspiring,” Copeland said, noting that “as always, we hope that some day litter will no longer be an issue. “The people who take part in Spring Up can‘t imagine tossing their garbage on the ground or understand what possesses others to do so. Yet, they take action anyway because they care about their city and their environment,” she added. It‘s not too late to register for Spring Up to Clean Up. Sign up online at www.ecosuperior.org, or contact Copeland at 624-2148. Participants receive free garbage and recycling bags, prizes and public recognition. Meanwhile, more than 300 Dryden citizens, schools, community groups and businesses participated in last week‘s Pitch-In Canada Week in the city. John Borst, chairman of Communities in Bloom-Dryden, one of the local Pitch-In campaign hosts, called this year‘s response to Pitch-In Week “tremendous” considering past years. The previous best showing was about 25 individuals and groups registering for the event, he said. However, he said this latest participation record proves “that we are indeed the best bloomin‘ city in the wilderness.” Borst noted that it was “obvious from the flurry of activity” around the city‘s residential areas that many people who did not register for the organized cleanup are also pitching in to give Dryden a spring cleaning. “Now, the challenge is to continue this mind-set and keep our city tidy 12 months of the year,” he said, adding that tidiness shouldn‘t be something that happens only once-a-year. “Let‘s make no litter an ongoing priority to show our visitors as well as our fellow citizens that this is a community that cares,” he said. Top of Page |
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September 2, 2010, 8:22 am |