Calgary’s Ghanian community joins Alberta Highway Cleanup Campaign as thousands of children participate in city cleanup

Members of the Ghanaian Canadian Association of Calgary joined thousands of Alberta  this weekend to pick up trash along our highways.

About two dozen members of Calgary’s Ghanian community gathered Saturday to lend a hand to the Alberta Highway Cleanup Campaign.

They were part of a larger contingent of over 12,000 partiipants, 8,000 who were children from 4H Clubs, Junior Forest Wardens, and other youth groups.

Participants wore save safety vests to improve their visibility along the roads.

Vida Ghunney, the president of the Ghanian Canadians Association Service said her community wanted to give back.

“We do a lot of initiatives, right?” Ghunney asked. “So we found this, and we thought that it will be a good thing to just keep the city clean, because the city is welcoming us Ghanaians here.

“We think that it would be a good initiative for us to keep the province clean or the environment clean.”

Volunteer Ama Manu said the beautiful weather Saturday was a treat, but that’s because she’s done her share of winter volunteering too.

“I’ve been in winter doing other stuff,” Manu said. “And I mean, that’s why I said it is a great thing -- that is even when summertime to do this.

“I’ve been standing outside in the cold weather to do stuff (too), but it is good also to enjoy this weather today. So it’s given us a pleasure.

“Like I said, cleaning is good,” she added. “And when cleaning is good, everybody breathes in good. Giving back makes you feel good.

“So that is why we are happy to do this,” Manu said. “It’s not like someone is pressuring us, but we feel that it’s very good to do something for our community that we live in.”

With files from CTV’s Tyler Barrow