Calgary man launches 30-day cleanup to raise money for Alberta Children’s Hospital

Matthew Edwards has cleaned up more than 2,500 pounds of trash in various Calgary communities over the past year, but he hopes his upcoming monthly cleanup will serve as a way to raise money for hospital patients in need.

From August 3 to September 1, Edwards and volunteers are launching an initiative called “Cleaning for Kids: A 30-Day City Challenge.”

He wants to encourage Calgarians to clean up their local parks and donate via a GoFundMe page, with all proceeds going to the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation (ACHF).

Edwards began cleaning up litter in August 2023. He wanted to stay positive while looking for a new job.

“I just wanted to bring a little positivity into the world, but I didn’t expect it to have such a big impact on so many people,” Edwards said.

“People started donating money to my charity, but I didn’t want to accept that. So I decided to set up a place where people could donate to the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation instead.”

His efforts were quickly recognized online through his social media pages, where people dubbed him “The Samaritan of Calgary.” He posted before and after photos of the areas he cleaned.

These efforts led to his first 30-day challenge, which launched last August and raised $2,840 for the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation.

Edwards chose the hospital because of his personal story.

When he was only two years old, he was diagnosed with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), a rare blood disorder that causes an autoimmune reaction to the body’s platelets.

He underwent surgery at the IWK Children’s Hospital in Nova Scotia, where he grew up and made a full recovery thanks to the support of the medical staff.

“I thought, ‘This is my chance to give back and fulfill a personal dream of mine.’

“This isn’t about me, it’s about coming together.”

According to the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation, all donated funds go directly to technology, expertise and programs that help more than 100,000 children each year.

“We are grateful that our community is finding so many creative ways to support Alberta Children’s Hospital,” said Liz Ballendine, vice president of development and community initiatives at ACHF.

“What a nice bonus to help the environment and the children at the same time.”

Edwards conducts cleanup efforts each weekend through various volunteer meet-ups with the group Keep the Earth Fresh. He encourages volunteers to get involved. Times and locations are posted on their social media pages.

He also posts a summary of his cleanups on the r/Calgary subreddit on the 10th, 17th, 24th, and 31st of each month.

This month’s cleanup is especially important to Edwards because it takes place during the annual Calgary Pride festival.

“It’s mainly about showing up and being proud of our community,” he said.

Anyone with suggestions for places in the city that have a lot of trash that needs to be cleaned up is invited to contact Edwards on social media or by email at [email protected]. Together, they can start their own initiative to beautify their local community.