Lloydminster and the Youth Centre have come together again for the annual graffiti removal event which was sparked three years ago by former Barr Colony teacher Susan Stefanuk.
The first of four dates for the clean up began on Thursday with kids from the Youth centre and volunteers working on fences along the walkway near 31 Street and 55 Avenue. Lloydminster resident Susan Stefanuk sparked the graffiti campaign three years ago when she wrote a letter to the local newspaper.
“We had started from a letter to the paper when I taught at Barr Colony school and the last day of school three years ago we had six great big barrels full of planters and they were totally destroyed.”
Stefanuk says in the letter she mentioned how the youth get blamed for these acts and decided to reach out to the city to see how the kids could be seen in a more positive light. She contacted The City about removing graffiti that is usually offensive and ended up walking down one of the paths with Manager of social programs and services for Lloydminster Patrick Lancaster which sparked the annual clean up.
15-year-old Demytri Verigan says he feels good helping the community by cleaning the graffiti and that he is having fun doing it.
“I really wanted to help the environment and just help the community, just make things look nicer.”
Counsellor Stephanie Munro adds how it is good for the youth to see the community come together and that the kids should feel good about themselves being apart of the clean up.
” I think it just shows everybody how important whether you are on council or whether you’re youth, no matter who you are its fine for you to get out here and help clean up.”