Toronto Argo helps kids keep shorelines clean

The day had been planned for a while and I was incredibly nervous that after the rain we’d had on Sunday, our mini-cleanup would get rained out. But, much to my delight, the weather gods smiled on us and all ten kids, Joe Eppele and Panda reveled in a gorgeous day at the beach while managing to pick up 15 kilograms of litter. We were also joined by WWF’s Freshwater Director, Tony Maas and Shoreline Cleanup Volunteer Coordinator, Susan Debreceni as well as some devoted Loblaw employees.

(c) Riannon John/WWF-Canada
At first glance the beach looked pristine and I thought that my next challenge, since I’d already conquered the weather, would be occupying several children for an hour with no litter to pick up! However, these kids were like little investigative reporters for CSI and wouldn’t rest until every single cigarette butt, straw and tissue were removed from the beach’s depths.

Always a good sport, Joe Eppele had even the shyest of kids laughing and running to add their litter finds to his outstretched garbage bag. This group proved for all that the Shoreline Cleanup really makes a difference, even in beaches that you think are already free of debris, but also that cleanups are truly a fun event that the entire family can enjoy. Don’t forget to sign yourself up to join in the fun at shorelinecleanup.ca. If you refer four friends, you get the chance to win an iPad2 with wi-fi, which would add some extra fun to your cleanup!