Working together to build community can take many forms, but Sagewood resident Naomi Slipp hopes to channel that community-building energy into a local clean-up effort to beautify public parks and other areas in her neighbourhood this weekend.
Slipp is organizing the Sagewood and Area Community Clean-up on May 6, and is hoping to have plenty of volunteers pitch in to pick up litter in both Sagewood and the Canals that day.
“We are going to be supplying people with garbage bags and PPE, and then sending them off to go pick up trash around the community in the public areas,” she explained. “Once they come back with the garbage, we’ll have them enter their names for some door prizes and we’ll have some refreshments and snacks.”
Slipp, who just moved to Airdrie last year, got the idea for the community clean-up from her time as a former resident of the Bankview community in Calgary, which also held a public clean-up event every year. Slipp said the clean-up served two purposes: beautification of the neighbourhood and a chance to socialize with and meet neighbours.
She hopes to bring the same sense of community spirit to her new neighbourhood.
“Everybody (in Sagewood) is so friendly, but there doesn’t seem to be a lot of opportunities for people to get together and do things, and get to know each other,” she said. “And I want to make that happen.”
The Sagewood and Area Community Clean-up starts at 9 a.m. and goes until 3 p.m., but Slipp says volunteers can come out anytime during that time period and stay for as long as they like.
“People don’t have to be committed for the whole time,” she confirmed. “You just come whenever you want during that window, and stay as long as you want. We are hoping to get the community nice and cleaned up, and garbage free.”
Those wishing to help out with the clean-up are asked to muster at the C.W. Perry School parking lot, where a “base camp” will be set up for the entire day. Garbage bags and PPE will be provided.
“It’s one of those situations where you see something your community can benefit from, and you’ve got the capacity to be able to make it happen, you have to go for it,” explained Slipp. “It starts with you.”
For more information on the event visit the Sagewood and Area Community Cleanup Facebook page or email [email protected].
