A week ago today saw staff from the Portage Friendship Centre in Portage la Prairie out on their first highway cleanup project in a contract in which they entered for a period of two years.

"We went and cleaned the ditches on Highway 1 by Simplot coming toward Portage la Prairie," says Debbie Parker, the Centre's Insight mentor. "It's a contract with Manitoba Infrastructure and Transportation. They have a program called Adopt-A-Highway. The staff totally enjoyed it. It was a get-together for us."

Parker says the Centre's there to help the community, and this was a perfect fit for her vision to organize a group effort and help. Clean-up takes place over an 8-kilometre stretch at least twice a year.

She adds everyone completely enjoyed it and it was more of a get-together for them, and passersby were encouraging the effort by waving their arms and blowing horns.

Executive director Shirley Bernard notes she didn't think she could work on the entire 8-km piece of roadway, but it was so fun she says it wasn't a problem.

Parker says a sign will be erected along that stretch soon, indicating their participation in Adopt-A-Highway. She adds it's their first time getting in on the program, and she first suggested it last fall.

PHOTOS OF THE CLEANUP PROJECT: