Participants of Pitch-In. Photo submitted
The City of Lloydminster hosted a community clean up from April 26 to May 2, called Pitch-In Week. Members of the community pitched-in to clean up garbage throughout the community of Lloydminster, and then dispose it properly.
“COVID-19 certainly like everything else affected how this event happened, due to the nature of the number of volunteers and the closeness of working with people. Volunteers sometimes take things out of peoples cars or trunks, or participants are opening their own vehicles, so it is really challenging to maintain social distancing and provide the service and the opportunity that the hazardous waste round-up brings,” commented Mayor of Lloydminster, Gerald Aalbers.
Last year, the City of Lloydminster cancelled the event due to COVID-19. This year there were 126 registered households with 542 participants reported. As well as, there were also three requests from schools with a reported 575 participants wanting to participate, totaling 1,117 participants.
In an effort to stay within the COVID-19 restrictions, the city decided to create Pitch-In Kits that include a safety orientation and sharps protocol along with a sharps kit, garbage bags, and nitrile gloves, colouring pages for children and a token of appreciation.
“Thank you to everyone that took the time to be a part of Pitch-In and do their part, no matter how much or how little they picked up. It is all appreciated. It takes an entire community to make this a better place,” said Aalbers.