Pitch-in week runs from April 22nd until the 29th across Canada.
Bancroft’s pitch-in day is on the 27th. It’s done in honour of local Mark McGhee who, before he passed away, took a lot of pride in making sure Bancroft was kept clean. His sister Jennifer tells My Bancroft Now he saw Bancroft as a nice place for people to visit so he wanted to make sure it was clean for them to see.
This year will be the 11th year of the clean-up. McGhee says more people have shown up every year after 25 showed up for their first effort. “I know Mark would be absolutely thrilled if he was with us today,” she says.
Lots of parents bring their kids to the event as a way to teach them not to litter, McGhee says. She adds that students are welcomed to join the clean-up to get community volunteer hours.
Bags will be provided to everyone who shows up. Jennifer suggests bringing gloves though. The clean-up will be done rain or shine.
Maynooth’s spring clean-up day will be on Sunday, May 26th. Coordinator Joey Shulman says it will kick-off at 3 PM in front of the Highlands Hot Tub store at 33010 Highway 62 North. Garbage bags will be provided by the municipality, but he suggests bringing gloves. Everyone will meet back at the store by 4:30, Shulman says, where a BBQ will be held thanks to Maynooth’s business association.
“Winter recedes and shows you a few things that may have got blown aside of neglected,” he said while laughing. “And it’s just really nice when a group of people both older and younger come together and clean-up the street.”