It was a brisk Sunday morning in February when the phone rang at Rally HQ. On the other end were legendary eco-warriors Floyd and Lawrence from Don’t Mess With The Don.
Lawrence–an avid Don Valley trail runner–had noticed a pile of abandoned and rotting vehicle tires on his last run, and it was beginning to keep him up at night. He had to do something, but he needed help: the tires were about a kilometer and a half away from the nearest access point, and there were too many for one person to make a dent in the mess.
We knew we had to keep it small due to lockdown measures, but we also knew that our pals Matt at @PatagoniaToronto and Dr. Mirek would be choked to miss out on the fun (plus, there were a lot of tires…). So we called them up, packed our cooler full of Rally’s, and headed to the trailhead.
About 30 tires, a dozen old shopping carts, a couple bedframes, countless unrecognizable pieces of rusted metal, and a giant inflatable Minion later, we had a decent pile to carry out.
That’s when the cops showed up…
Apparently, a skeptical onlooker had dialed the police to investigate what we could possibly be up to in the woods on this cold winter morning. Once we got through the requisite questioning, Floyd–never to miss an opportunity for volunteer support–asked the officers if they’d like to see the pile and help us carry-out, to which they graciously obliged! In true Rally For Good fashion, the Officers received a couple beers for their efforts (which they of course saved for off-duty enjoyment).
A great day was had by all, and we cracked an extra-cold Rally to toast our efforts. Special thanks to Matt, Mirek, and our wonderful partners at DMWTD for their hands-on support. We also can’t forget our awesome guest-volunteers from the Toronto Police Services who lightened our load and made it an unforgettable clean up!
Follow us for future group clean-ups as lockdown measures allow - we’d love to meet you! Also check out DMWTD on social media (Facebook, Instagram, Newsletter) and find ways to get involved in the effort to preserve our beautiful backyard park system.
#RallyForGood
