By Patrick Burles - (@PatrickBurles on Twitter)

Bikers Building Bridges Lethbridge tackling drug debris

Nov 11, 2018 | 9:08 AM

LETHBRIDGE – A relatively new organization got plenty of attention on social media earlier this month, as they spent a Saturday scouring the playground at Westminster Elementary School in north Lethbridge, searching for drug debris.

Bikers Building Bridges Lethbridge took on the task Nov. 3, just over a week after the school alerted parents, students, and staff that the debris had been found on school grounds.

The initiative is part of a new effort for the group, which just branched off from another organization in August.

“We decided to branch off on our own because we felt that we could do more things under our own banner,” said group vice-president, Tony Sandford. “There was a lot of restrictions with other clubs that we didn’t feel were necessary, so we thought it better to venture out on our own and then we could do whatever we felt was needed for the community – like the needle pickup, like a food-drive we did.”

Bikers Building Bridges President Chris Plumb explained that because the focus of their group is youth at risk, it was a simple decision to tackle an issue that has gotten no shortage of attention in Lethbridge.

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Before they got underway though, Plumb pointed out that they took steps to ensure the safety of their volunteers.

“We approached ARCHES… and they sent a fellow out to show us the different equipment that comes in the little cases they have – the little cookers and pipes and needles and what to look for,” said Plumb. “The proper way of disposing them in the sharps container. We use tongs, rubber gloves, so our actual exposure to the needles is very limited.

“It helps us feel that we’re contributing to the community to make it safe,” he continued. “All of us pretty much have kids as well, and it would be a nightmare for them to come home and have stepped on something or been poked by something. We could have complained about it all over Facebook or through the news about the needle crisis, but we just decided it’s better to go and do something about it.”

Plumb says that for those looking for their assistance – whether it be with another cleanup or helping youth in other ways – they can be contacted through Facebook. He noted that their members must undergo a criminal record check to be a part of the group, which currently stands at nine strong.