During the Calgary cleanup, trash is collected from roads and riverbanks

Thousands of Calgarians are set to lend a hand in the city's annual effort on Friday.

The road and creek cleanup, which begins at 9 a.m. at Refinery Park, will continue through Sunday.

According to the city, more than 2,000 volunteers will collect trash from more than 160 locations along nearly 300 kilometers of roads and riverbanks.

Saturday is being held for the 57th time this year.

It started in 1967, when a 12-year-old girl was walking along the Elbow River and saw a mattress.

Unable to remove it himself, he wrote a letter to the newspaper about the garbage that led to the first road and river cleanup.

Registration of volunteers for this year's event is over.

Lindsey Park is hosting another clean-up and barbecue event on Sunday from 10am to 1pm.