Tip the Calgarian Samaritan

Day 40 update!

Do not donate anymore. I am just keeping this up for a while for posterity. I have already made the donation to the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation.

These past 40 days have been the most soul enriching, fulfilling, and tiring days of my life. And I would go back and do it all again. A huge thank you to everyone who supported me on this journey. Together we were able to raise $2840 for the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation. I truly can’t believe the amount of support from the community and the city I have seen and if I attempted to thank everyone, this list would be a mile long. Whether you came out and helped me personally, offered supplies, helped raise money for charity, or even just clicking the like on any of these posts, a huge thank you goes out to all of you and I feel blessed for your support. There are some people and businesses I want to personally thank. A huge thank you to Craze Outdoors, an outdoor gear store in Calgary where I bought the first collapsible garbage can that I used the entire time while cleaning. They heard about what I was doing on the news and offered me three more to help with group cleanups. Thank you so much for your support, especially when I was just starting. Also a huge thank you to Kuma, the makers of that really nifty, REALLY endurable collapsible garbage can.  A huge thank you to 660 news, CBC, and the Calgary Herald/sun for reaching out to me, and helping me spread my story and journey to make Calgary beautiful. A huge thank you to everyone on the Forest Lawn Neighbours group page on Facebook for allowing me, after day 5 when I was fully committed, to make a post every day and journalling everything I did to the finest detail of my 30, and then 40, day journey of self improvement, and city improvement. I laid my life bare for everyone who would read, and I can’t thank you enough for your constant words of support. A huge thank you to all of the volunteers and staff at Calgary pride. You listened to my story, and welcomed me with open arms to help volunteer during the event. You also just let me do my thing and I’m sure I helped a lot of people that day so that they didn’t have to find a trashcan and enjoy the event more. I definitely want to work with you again next year so that we can together take pride in our citizens and take pride in our city.  A huge thank you to Dawn Warner, who helped me not only to clean, but to also teach me how to edit videos. You helped me spread my story to different areas that, if I had not met you, I wouldn’t of had the know how to do myself. Thank you so much for reaching out to me and I love your passion. A huge thank you to #REPYYC for your generous $1000 donation, absolutely obliterating my donation goal and pushing me to want to soar to greater heights, on day 22, on a day I had just cleaned out a bunch of encampments at Fort Calgary, and honestly was just upset about how some of the homeless have to live. Your words of support touched my very soul. I would’ve never got through that marathon as fast as I did if it wasn’t for you. A huge thank you to Keep The Earth Fresh, a nonprofit group in our city, that works together every Saturday from 10 AM to noon, all year long, to clean up areas all over Calgary. I’m really thankful I got to work together with you guys on day 22, 29 and on day 36 cleaning up in the Marlborough area on that same fence line where I did my very first clean over a month ago. I want to continue working with you every single weekend you do this from now on. I think it’s a great little weekend hobby I’ve picked up and I cherish our continued camaraderie and common goal of keeping Calgary beautiful, one neighbourhood or park at a time. A huge thank you to everyone at Capstone Church, for helping me put a beautiful capstone on my 30 day journey, and helping me clean up the Forest Lawn area. You made bags of essential goods for the homeless, and were kind enough to offer me as many as I could carry. I only needed three, allowing me to go back to those kind men I met in Bowness on Day 14 and again on day 15, and help them out in a small way. You are truly beautiful people with kind, generous souls. And finally, and most important of all, thank you to King Huang. Back on that first day that I was cleaning near the Peace Bridge, after incompetently attempting to organize a clean up, and after posting my results, I was feeling quite deflated. I knew I was going to spend one more day down there cleaning up because it was Sunday and I had nothing else to do. You messaged me on Reddit, and you offered to come help me with a truly herculean task, of cleaning up down by the Peace Bridge on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. If you didn’t reach out to me, none of this would’ve happened. Not only that, but then you continue to come out with me on day 15  for the CBC interview, day 29 where you brought your good friend Ryan who absolutely dominated that day, finding so much trash and random things, and day 36 and then continue to come out on the weekends with Keep The Earth Fresh and me. You were, and will always be my inspiration. You say I give you too much credit. I say I don’t give you enough. I can never thank you enough. But I hope to try by keeping in touch and hanging out with you. I always wanted to make a tangible, noticeable difference on the city, and in some small way the world. You all helped me achieve that. I hope to do the same thing next year and continue to inspire new people to do their best to be proactive and caring in the community. I will continue to be a good samaritan in our city, and will keep doing my best to give back to the city that has been my home for 17 years, and many more. Finally I would just like to say… Go out there and be someone’s inspiration. Be kind to others. Never give up on your dreams. And please…please don’t litter.  Love y’all!!! The Calgarian Samaritan.

Day 33 update!  

https://www.facebook.com/CalgarianSamaritan?mibextid=LQQJ4d 

Above is a link to my Facebook profile where I have posted everything that I’ve cleaned around Calgary so far, if you wanted to take a look. It’s all public.

My challenge is complete….sort of. I had planned that after the 30 days I would let the Gofundme stay up for one week to wait for any last minute donations. Since so many people have donated in the time after the completion of my challenge, I might as well continue until Sunday, but a 37 day challenge doesn’t sound right so I’ll go for an even 40. That will make the challenge ending coincide with the date I have planned to give the cheque to the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation (October 4, 2023). A fitting end, if I do say so myself.

A huge thank you to everyone who has donated and supported me throughout this journey of self-improvement and city improvement, and helping me to achieve my dream of giving back to a Children’s Hospital after the IWK Children’s Hospital saved my life 25 years ago. I’m happy knowing this money will go back to the people in this beautiful city that has been my home for 17 years. 

I love you all. 

The Calgarian Samaritan.

Day 20 update!!! 

Before I first started this, I was struggling with my mental health for years. Getting sober helped with some of that, but regaining a clear mind also made me realize that I haven’t done much with my life. I wanted to make a noticeable difference in the world, and in the city, no matter how small, but still noticeable. Doing this 30 day challenge and sticking to it was a personal goal for myself. Posting these daily updates was my way of making sure I stuck to it, no matter how stressed out or tired I got. I wanted to not only be true to myself, but true to everyone around me, and for 20 days thus far I have achieved that. 

The amount of support I have been given from everyone over this entire endeavour has been truly amazing. The amount of people I have inspired to do good in their own lives and for others is truly breathtaking. Literally. I haven’t gasped more times in a 20 day period then I have in my entire life. The stories I’ve heard from people struggling with addiction, homelessness, or just struggling in general, has truly changed my perspective on life and has made me realize how truly blessed and fortunate my life has been. I will do my best to not take for granted what I have been given. 

I did not expect to be on the radio for this. I did not expect to be on CBC for this. Again, for me, this was just a personal goal that I posted online because I thought other people would enjoy it. At first I just kept thinking about the destination, getting to the end of 30 days. In the end, the true blessing of all of this, was the journey. And this journey is not over. I have 10 days left, but for these final 10 days, let’s do this my way. With gear, garbage bags, food, and travel, I have probably spent close to $500. In the end, it was truly worth it. Probably the best $500 I’ve ever spent in my life. My Gofundme is currently at $745 of my $1000 goal. I’d love to hit that goal, but if I don’t, that’s OK too. This entire journey and experience was the reward. So let’s do this right, how I should’ve done this from the start.

100% of all money raised will be donated to the Alberta Children’s Hospital. I’ve got 10 days left. I’ve got a marathon to run. And I’ve got cleaning to do. I hope you continue to enjoy my journey of cleaning up neglected areas and making this city, and in some small way, the world, a better, more beautiful place to live.

Let’s do this!!! 

Love y’all!!! 

The Calgarian Samaritan.

(Leaving the first update on here for posterity)

Hi I’m Matthew Edwards and I have been attempting to go 30 consecutive days cleaning up Calgary, one neighborhood at a time, to highlight the neglect and mistreatment of our city.

During my efforts, I have been approached by many people wanting to donate to help cover costs of garbage bags, gloves and travel costs. After being hesitant at first and consulting with my family, I have decided that if people want to support me, than let’s also raise money for a good cause. 50% of all money raised will be donated to the Alberta Children’s Hospital.

Why the Alberta Children’s Hospital?

When I was a baby, I was diagnosed with a rare blood disorder (ITP). I was in the hospital three times a week for nearly 5 years. It has been my dream to donate to a children’s hospital after the IWK in Nova Scotia helped save my life. I would love to donate to the IWK, but this entire endeavour of mine spawned from my love of Calgary, so its better that I donate to a cause that Calgarians will benefit from. Just like I’m doing my part to clean up, one day the children will have to take care of Mother Nature so I’m glad any money raised will support the next generation.

I hope you all enjoy my 30 day journey to make the city shine as brightly as it should and help donate to a good cause.