Partnering with UBC Best Buddies for a Cleaner Campus

On our latest cleanup on March 23, we teamed up with UBC Best Buddies for an afternoon out on the UBC campus.

The skies were cloudy, but that did not stop anyone for even a second. Our group of 6 showed up ready to work, and the energy from the very start made it clear that a little grey weather was never going to get in the way of doing something good.

As we made our way across campus, we were not alone out there. Dogs were out on their afternoon walks and seagulls were circling nearby, a good reminder of exactly why this kind of work matters. Wildlife and people share these spaces every single day, and the last thing we want is for curious animals to be getting into waste that has no place being there.

We covered a lot of ground, walking all the way over to the student building where we stumbled upon what looked like an Iron Man inspired event in full swing. It was unexpected, it made us smile, and it absolutely did not slow us down. If anything, it added a little excitement to the day.

The things we found told their own story. Soaked bags of trash that had clearly been sitting there for a while, various bits and pieces scattered along the way, and even a set of note cards condolences for whoever that belonged to I hope you passed your test! The deeper we looked, the more we found, and every single piece we picked up felt like a win for the campus and everyone who uses it.

We wanted a special shoutout to Alex, a longtime volunteer with UBC Best Buddies. He was always so motivated throughout the whole clean up. From continuing to find pieces of garbage unknown to us all. To this enthusiasm for making UBC a better place. Also from engaging with every single member of the, ensuring no one felt left out. Volunteers like Alex personify what we strive for in our volunteers for Captain Scott. Thank you Alex!

To close out the day, we took a well deserved moment to enjoy some snacks together as a team including a cookie from the student building. It was a chance to talk about what we accomplished, learn about each other a little bit more, and appreciate the people we got to do it alongside.

A huge thank you to UBC Best Buddies for making this collaboration happen. Six people, one campus, and a whole lot of heart. We can't wait to do it again.