Local Movember advocate Agnes Pion might not seem like a go-getter at first, but just give her a few minutes and you’ll discover that she’s hard to keep up with.
The Movember group is the leading charity concerned with men’s health and some of the issues which affect men such as prostate and testicular cancer. The group has been funding innovative research projects over the last 15 years and is trying to reduce premature death of men by 25 per cent by 2030.
Typically, Movember members pledge to walk a certain distance or grow a long mustache.
Pion has literally gone the extra mile and added her own special twist to the event: she picks up trash.
A short expedition recently, in the space of not much more than 50 meters on a rarely used path branching off the popular perimeter trail, easily produced more than two full bags of trash.
“Recently I picked up trash on the trail from the KFC to the high school and I had so much I had to go back the next day to get rid of it. There were lots of cans and cigarette butts and I couldn’t carry them all away. One young student actually apologized for the mess on behalf of her fellow students,” she said.
Pion said that some of the trash was a bit disturbing. Near Muheim Memorial Elementary School recently, besides the expected cans and cigarette butts, she found more than a little broken glass in an area where young children play.
Near the perimeter trail, she easily filled bags with empty cans and trash that looked like it had been left after some late night revelry.
In addition, there were four automobile tires, full cans of beer and what looked like empty paint cans.
Pion said that perhaps the strangest thing she has found was a plastic bag full of dog poop that had been left by the side of a trail.
She said that she has pledged to do 60 km and hopes to raise $500 she can donate to the movement.
After watching her scurry up and down the sides of the hills around the trail, there can be no doubt that she will achieve both of her goals.
For more information on Movember fundraising, seach for Agnes Pion’s page on ca.movember.com.
