The Innisfil Pitch-In Committee cancelled plans for the annual Pitch-In Day community clean-up back in May, but had hoped to reschedule sometime in the fall, to coincide with Waste Reduction Week, Oct. 19-23.
But with an uptick in COVID case numbers, that just wasn’t possible, said Coun. Ken Fowler, committee member, speaking at Wednesday's meeting of Council.
“We were very, very close to putting something in motion,” Fowler said. What made the committee change its mind was a single wedding in York Region, that led to 49 cases of COVID-19.
“That was from one wedding, where people were in an enclosed space,” he noted. “That was the final straw. We couldn’t risk it.”
The annual event relies on more than 4,000 local school students, as well as town operational services; the committee felt that holding Pitch-In Day at this time would not be safe.
The Pitch-in Committee still hopes to organize a Pitch-In Day event for Saturday, May 8, 2021. It will be meeting early in the new year to determine the feasibility of going ahead – or if the community effort should be postponed again.
Pitch-In Day usually brings together different groups from across the municipality - students, sports organizations, clubs and associations, church groups, employees and neighbours - to pick up the litter that has accumulated at roadsides and in ditches. Garbage bags and gloves are provided by the Town, which then picks up the bags of trash collected by the volunteers.
In previous years, the morning clean-up effort has been followed by a Community Appreciation barbecue, as a thank-you to the participants.
"All of us who are on the Pitch-in Committee understand the disappointment and frustration felt by those who seek to beautify Innisfil, as they do every year," said Fowler, "however the safety of our residents superseded all else."
As for any residents planning their own "Pitch-In" cleanup, he said, "We cannot officially endorse an event of this nature" - urging residents to limit the cleanup to the area around their own homes, and to their own households.
"All we can do is stress the need for caution and to protect themselves as much as possible," he said. "Wear gloves. Wear a mask. Sanitize often. Do not reuse bags. Do not congregate in large numbers - keep it to those in your household."
For more information on Pitch-in Day, click here.
