A touchless drive-through bottle collection hosted by the Bradford Lions Club on Saturday proved to be busier than ever as cars lined up at the Bradford Lions Park to drop off their empty bottles and cans in support of the Helping Hand Food Bank’s Christmas Hamper program.
The Lions worked tirelessly separating plastics from glass and coloured bottles from clear as they shuffled through boxes and bins of recycled donations from residents.
“We got here early to set up and so did other people dropping off their empties,” states Lions President Jim Slykhuis, noting that the bottle drive ran from 9 am. - 4 p.m but “they [were] dropping it off since about 8:20 a.m."
Bottles and cans were organized and loaded into a white trailer which did multiple runs to the Bradford Beer Store and back, and 100 per cent of the funds collected went to the Helping Hand Food Bank’s Christmas hamper program.
“It’s been a phenomenal turn out from everyone in the town,” states Slykhuis. “While we were unloading the trailer from the first time [at the Beer Store] people were saying ‘here, take my empties as well'.
In total, the Lions Club raised $1,260 from the returns.
Owner of Bradford's Don Cherry's restaurant Jason Farrugia pulled up with a truckload of at least “a week’s worth” of empties and gave the Lions $2 vouchers for free soup at the restaurant as well.
Coun. Peter Ferragine and MP Scot Davidson also came by to support and made a donation, as well as Ward 2 by-election candidates Gavin Maclean who is also a Lions Club member, and Stephanie Sinclair.
“We put a call out and the town always answers,” says Lions Club member Jennifer Pegg. “Without them, this wouldn’t be possible."