Residents in Black Diamond and Turner Valley will roll up their sleeves and clean up their communities this weekend.
The Towns are hosting Project Green Day, where volunteers collect and dispose of garbage in green spaces throughout the two communities, May 25 from 9 a.m. to noon.
Those planning to help must register at the Scott Seaman Sports Rink in Black Diamond at 9 a.m. There, they pick up orange vests and garbage bags and select a location to clean, said Les Quinton, parks and recreation manager.
“It’s helping our entire community,” he said. “It’s helping us keep both towns looking nice without garbage all over the place. It shows a little pride in our community.”
Quinton said while Town crews spend a lot of time collecting garbage in parks, volunteers assist with removing unsightly garbage that may have since blown in or been carelessly dropped.
The volunteers also take care of other areas like along Highway 22, the Friendship Trail, the banks of the Sheep River and the off-leash dog park, Quinton said.
“A lot of areas they’re going into are heavily used or areas that are normally not looked after,” he said. “It’s helping our whole entire area look a lot nicer.”
Following a decline in participants in recent years, Quinton said he would like to see more individuals and groups step forward to help clean up on Saturday.
“We were down a little last year because it was cold and we had some rain that day,” he said. “It’s been going down a bit over the years.”
Some groups that aren’t able to help on Saturday have already done some tidying in the community in recent weeks, said Quinton.
Those who volunteer Saturday will be treated to a barbecue lunch served by the Foothills Lions Club.
