May 21, 2010
(Red Deer, Alberta) – It’s not too late to help make Red Deer clean and green. While dozens of volunteers and service groups have already dedicated themselves to keeping Red Deer beautiful through the Green Deer program, there is still more work to do.
“We really encourage everyone to get involved in Green Deer,” said Suzanne Jubb, community and program facilitator with The City of Red Deer. “This year, the program will last until June 20, so people can volunteer as their schedules permit. So far, we’ve had an amazing response from the public, and people are very enthused about helping to keep Red Deer beautiful.”
The Green Deer program focuses on cleaning litter in all outdoor areas of the city, including parks and green spaces, where litter accumulates over the winter months. By helping to clean these spaces, the community will be protecting our parks and the wildlife that live there. Citizens will also be helping to create and maintain a safe environment for children, pets and people of all ages to enjoy.
Jubb also notes that the Green Deer program brings diverse groups of people together to better our city. “From youth to senior citizens to Red Deer City Councillors, we’ve had a great response to the program, and we’ve seen an increase in the number of volunteers from last year,” she said. “When individuals, families and organizations come together to clean up the community, it can have amazing results.”
While the response has been very positive, there is still work to do in many areas of the city. Volunteers are encouraged to officially become part of the Green Deer program by registering by phone at 403-309-8411 or in person either at the Recreation Centre or the Collicutt Centre.
The annual Green Deer program will continue in Red Deer, but Jubb also emphasizes the importance of education and prevention in keeping our city clean. “Right now, we’re still being reactive by picking up litter, but we’re moving toward a greater understanding of the damage litter does to the environment,” she said. “The next steps are to be proactive, educate that minority to stop littering in the first place, and make it easy for them to change their behaviour.”
Green Deer 2010 sponsors are Save-On Foods, Tim Hortons, Canadian Tire, KG Country/Z99, Fas Gas Plus Community Care, TD Friends of the Environment Foundation and The City of Red Deer.
For more information on the Green Deer campaign, call 403-309-8411 or visit www.reddeer.ca/greendeer.
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For more information, please contact:
Suzanne Jubb
Community and Program Facilitator
The City of Red Deer
403-309-8409
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