Steinbach’s Pick-up and Walk event has been canceled due to the ongoing threat of COVID-19.

The 15th annual community clean up event was scheduled for May 2nd this year but organizer Grace Hiebert announced today that it will not be happening as it would conflict with social distancing recommendations from the province.

“Pick-up and Walk typically draws over 2000 volunteers,” she notes, “and it would be impossible to hold back people from meeting in groups as this event is all about groups serving together.”

Hiebert hopes the event can be rescheduled for June but says that is entirely dependent on the development of the coronavirus. Meanwhile, she encourages Steinbach families to be mindful of trash as they walk around their neighborhoods and to bring garbage bags along with them, cleaning up the city on their own time instead. 

Hiebert and the rest of the Pick-up and Walk organizers thank the churches of Steinbach for their continued support of this yearly initiative and say they “look forward to announcing the next date of this event and to seeing the hundreds of people who will soon band together once again to keep Steinbach the most garbage-free city in North America.”