Shawn Carroll’s efforts to clean up the Sault have sparked an outpouring of support online amid the local father’s weight loss journey
After losing more than 250 pounds, a local man is using his newfound mobility to clean up his hometown — and his efforts have sparked an outpouring of support.
Over the past week, Shawn Carroll has picked up trash piled up at different locations around the city, from the gazebo near Walmart to a stretch of Wellington Street West.
He spends a few hours at each location, often with a friend and his fiancée’s help, picking up trash with rakes and grabber sticks and filling multiple garbage bags for removal.
“Needles were a big thing. I was kind of devastated that a lot of kids were going to parks and finding needles, and that was extremely scary and heartbreaking for me because I have a three-year-old son of my own,” Carroll told SooToday.
Hearing about garbage and disposed needles around the city is something that’s long bothered Carroll, but he wasn’t in a position to tackle the problem until recently.
He previously weighed more than 600 pounds, but surgery late last year and steady progress at the gym has helped him lose over 250 pounds to date.
After a trip to Gros Cap with his friend, where they noticed garbage piling up, he realized he was finally in a place where could get out there and do something about it.
“I started going to the gym, and then my mobility started to become even better,” Carroll said.
“I said to my friend, I was like, ‘Oh my God, I want to go out there and pick up garbage.’”
Since launching his efforts last week, he’s documented his cleanups through social media posts with the hope that others will join.
“I’ve been thinking about it for a very, very long time,” Carroll said.
“A big thing for me too is being born and raised in the city, you want to see your community work together to clean up this mess.”
His work has been a big hit so far, with hundreds of commenters wishing him well online and some stepping up to help.
People have donated supplies and Algoma Public Health has provided sharps disposal containers to safely dispose of needles.
One woman with a truck and trailer has offered to pick up garbage bags as well.
“She said, ‘Let me know the location of these garbage bags and I’ll come and pick them up and dispose of them for you,’ so I thought that was incredible,” he said.
“I knew it was going to get support from the community, but I did not expect it to blow up like that.”
His online posts have led to a long list of locations to go and pick up trash, and he plans to get out as much as possible between his full time work as a security guard, being a father, and hitting the gym.
“Now I’m juggling working overnights, going to the gym now four days a week and picking up garbage pretty much almost every single day,” he said.
“I plan on doing this all summer for as long as I possibly can.”
People have reached out to join in, and Carroll hopes to secure enough grabber sticks and safety gear to let them safely participate.
“I’m glad that people are starting to reach out to me and provide me with those supplies,” he said.