The 3937th Worldwide Cleanup Campaign, Cairns Chinese Friendship Garden

The 3937th Worldwide Cleanup Campaign

World Mission Society Church of God volunteers enthusiastically gathered for the purpose of cleaning up the environment. It was Sunday morning on 10th Sep, 2017 when members united in teams and quickly made a start. They were eager to spruce up Jess Mitchell Park, just across from the Cairns Chinese Friendship Garden.

Children regard finding rubbish as a treasure hunt

Children gathered around their mums, for an important part of their education through cleaning up the family resting and picnic area. While working as a team, they removed rubbish that was blocking the water drain around the park. Children enjoyed the challenge of finding and picking up lots of rubbish, with all the fun and excitement of a treasure hunt. Indeed, it was for them a pleasurable, quality, time in the natural environment.

Unity of volunteers yields a huge result

Another team combined youth and adults. They cleaned around the Manunda Police-Citizens Youth Club starting from the park on the outskirts of the playground, along about 3km of road-side. Volunteers were amazed at the amount of rubbish they collected there.

Dan Walton (Sustainability Officer of Planning & Environment), a council member, is concerned about the pollution of soil caused by rubbish. So for this event, he generously provided all the necessary bags, gloves, and tongs, welcoming the campaign.

Through this event, the volunteers retrieved garbage that was lying on the ground, hardly decomposed. Furthermore, they separated the recyclable items such as bottles, cans, and PET containers. They also removed items from the mud among the mangroves next to the road. By the end of the event, they had gathered rubbish filling 38 bags.

Mangrove area restored as a safety place for juvenile fish

Tara Fryer, 25, a medical receptionist at the Cairns Eye and Laser Clinic, commented that she was touched to have the opportunity to clear rubbish from such a sensitive area of the earth. “Fishes’ breeding grounds among the mangroves are extremely vulnerable to many kinds of pollution. Hopefully next time I will come together with my colleagues.”

April, 31, a barista at the McDonald’s Australia Café, said, “How sad that people just throw rubbish in amongst the mangroves. I’ll do my best to take time to join this cleanup activity continually.”

Ongoing effort to share the love of Elohim God

Cairns is famous for its natural surroundings of mountains and forests. Church of God members in Cairns aim to carry out frequent cleanup campaigns, hoping Cairns never loses its beauty. World Mission Society Church of God volunteers aim to further spread Mother’s love to all the people of Cairns by their environmental cleanups and blood donation campaigns.