This year’s spring cleanup didn’t have as many volunteers as expected, but organizer Karen Sernecky already knows what to do next year to make it a success.
“There were a lot of people that I know that came out to help me out,” Sernecky said. “I’d like to get more participation from the public next year. Maybe start advertising earlier. I’ll put posters out, maybe.”
The purpose of the spring cleanup was to get volunteers to clean up public spaces in Stettler in preparation for the coming summer. Although there have been several warm days this spring, it was only 1 C on Saturday, April 26, when the event took place.
“It definitely restricted the number of volunteers who came out, for sure,” she said. “I think if it was a little bit nicer out, we would have had tons of people.”
Sernecky also thinks participation was affected by the other events going on that same day – including the community garage sale.
“I think next year, I’ll plan it the weekend before this all happens,” she said. “I’m hoping I’ll get more people by not having it when there are all the other events, because that definitely hurt this one.”
She estimates that she got about twenty volunteers, as well as other people who came out during the week. The volunteers cleaned up the ditch by the RCMP building, Memorial Park, the high school parking lot, and were also planning to clean up the soccer field. Volunteers got seven bags of garbage alone from the high school parking lot.
Sernecky also had a variety of businesses donate for the cause: Newalta provided lunch, Tim Hortons provided free travel mugs, coffee, and doughnuts, Acklands- Grainger provided garbage bags, gloves, and sanitizer, and Peavey Mart provided garbage bags.
“It’s been a really good turnout that way,” she said. “They’ve all been really helpful having things ready and having it all set up for me to make my life easier.”