Bowness will be getting a facelift from around 700 Calgary Christian youth on Saturday as part of a Rock the River tour leading up to a concert Aug. 21.
Volunteers will meet at Canada Olympic Park for a breakfast, then spread out across Bowness and Montgomery, armed with lawn mowers, graffiti scrubbers and hedge trimmers, to “show some Christian love.”
“It removes the subtle permission for people in the community to go ahead and do what they want, because nobody cares — in this case it’s obvious someone does care,” said Frank King, a spokesperson for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association of Canada, who helped organize the event.
He said the event does more than just improve the community, it improves the participants.
“It lets youth understand the value of service,” said King, “it opens your mind to something beyond yourself.”
“This can be a first step to going to other countries for mission work as well.”
Last year the festival launched in the U.S., getting 500-700 volunteers in four cities, but Edmonton ranks highest so far with 1,000 people.
