Envision Innisfail's Green & Clean campaign wrapped up on June 30th, and the numbers speak for themselves. St. Marguerite Bourgeoys School was the clear winner in the friendly competition, having collected a whopping 150 full bags of garbage. As a result, they have the option to either have their name associated with the event next year, or to actually give the event a whole new name. In total, local businesses, residents, and community groups collected 320 bags full of garbage.
"It was just a great experience all around," said Jennifer Henschel, Community Facilitator for the Town of Innisfail, and event coordinator. "The whole community worked together. People from every generation ñ kids, high school students, seniors - all pitched in and got the job done. Even folks with physical or developmental disabilities played a huge part in the success of the event. There were representatives from every section of the community."
Green & Clean kicked off with a BBQ in Centennial Park on May 14th. About 600 people attended the event, a larger turn-out than expected. While enjoying the food and entertainment, people had the opportunity to learn about environmentally friendly initiatives and businesses as well as to sign-up for a specific block or area to be responsible for cleaning. In addition to the Community Clean-up, the Town of Innisfail also coordinated a free large-item pick-up in the month of June.
All in all, 64 families, 13 individuals, 27 Businesses, 4 Schools and 5 Clubs and Organizations took part in Green & Clean. Henschel said that the plan is for this to be an annual event, with even more participation anticipated next year. It is easy to see why. The positive feedback was almost overwhelming, not only from residents, but also from other communities. Henschel received several calls from people who worked for other municipalities, wanting to learn more about how the event was accomplished.
Of the phone calls received from residents, many were from seniors who had mobility issues and were unable to get out and take on a whole route themselves. "They were so grateful that the Town had picked up some of their large items that they really didn't have the means to take to the dump, and even more grateful to the "yard angels" in the community who cleaned up their properties when they were unable to do so themselves," said Henschel.
Much of that gratitude translated into a pay-it-forward response. Some residents made sandwiches and snacks for the people who were working in their area. "Everyone just wanted to help out anyway they could."
As a result of the effort, the Town of Innisfail has noticeably less garbage on the streets and in the yards. Henschel encourages people to continue the effort. "It's so satisfying to see people suddenly stop to pick up a piece of garbage from the street and throw it away in the trash. All those little things add up in a big way!"
