Medicine Hat Skateboard Association collect litter in annual downtown cleanup

“We go downtown, we clean trash off the streets, it’s important for us to do this annually,” James said.

“It’s important to us to change the image of skateboarding within our community.”

James said the event also helps strengthen connections between generations of local skateboarders.

“We’re a community, and what’s important with our community, with our subculture is having that pass-the-torch-on sort of mentality,” James said.

“There’s multi-generations of skateboarders that are learning how to do good things for our community, and the commonality is riding a skateboard, but that doesn’t mean we can’t do things outside of skateboarding like cleaning up trash.”

The cleanup was held despite the association being in the midst of preparations for Beat the Heat, one of Canada’s largest amateur skateboarding competitions, which is scheduled to return to Medicine Hat later this summer.

James said organizers felt it was important to continue the volunteer initiative even during one of the busiest times of the year.

According to the association, more than 40 team members participated in the cleanup effort, with James estimating that about 42 skateboarders and community members attended.

“We appreciate our community so much,” James said.

“That garbage cleanup was amazing. It was fun. Everyone downtown was so happy, it was awesome,” he added.

“We had pizza after, and we’re going to do this every year if we can, because we just care about downtown.”

Generosity was also extended to them, with a pizza donation from Antonio’s Pizza and Donair.

by Jesse Gill/Jett Schwaier

Medicine Hat Skateboard Association collect litter in annual downtown cleanup

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