Project Details
SPOGOMI stands for “Sport x Trash Pickup,” a sport born in Japan in 2008 in which teams compete for points awarded according to the amount and type of trash picked up in a given area within a time limit. SPOGOMI sponsored tournaments in 21 countries worldwide where the winning team represented their country in the final SPOGOMI World Cup 2023 which was held in Tokyo, Japan on November 22, 2023. See Japan’s coverage of the event below.
Project Description
The Project/Initiative of SpoGomi originated in Japan in 2008 by Kenichi Mamitsuka. The purpose of SpoGomi is to bring awareness of our relation to the natural world, specifically life under water.
Our team took part with SpoGomi in late June of 2023. We were given the opportunity to organize and formulate the first Canadian SpoGomi competition where the winning team receives an all expense paid trip to Tokyo, Japan to compete in the SpoGomi 2023 World Cup as the Canadian Representative for this project/initiative. Within 4 months, the Canadian Organizers were able to host the Canadian competition on October 28th 2023. The Canadian competition recruited over 100 participants and volunteers and collected a total of 150.97 kg of waste from the 1km radius of the Toronto Don Valley Hotel area within an hour of collection. This year (2024), Our team, SpoGomi Canada seeks to expand the magnitude of both the competitive and non-competitive aspects of SpoGomi to promote the spirit of waste awareness and environmentalism one trash at a time. Meanwhile, the expansion for the non-competitive aspect is to grow the habits of picking up litter on the street and to further educate the impact of garbage and other waste on the Ocean ecosystem.
This project has been created in commemoration of the lives of all the victims of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, including two Ocean Bridge ambassadors, Danielle Moore and Micah Messent. We aspire to carry on their legacy and commitment to making the world a better place by creating long-lasting impacts with a firm commitment to driving positive change for the environment and our ocean. We will never forget the light that Danielle and Micah brought to the world and will continue to keep them in our hearts. To learn more about these two amazing people, please visit: Honouring Danielle and Micah – Ocean Wise. This work is partially funded by the Commemoration Fund for Victims of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 Tragedy.
What was your biggest challenge?
‘The biggest challenge that we encountered was how to manage time efficiently given the short amount of time that was given to us. I would not have done it all alone without any support from my team. Together, we have managed to accomplish the tasks needed by dividing it among ourselves and helping each other when one of us struggles with their assigned task.
What was your most valuable takeaway?
The most valuable takeaway is the sense of community connectedness, the sense of achievement for such a short amount of time, and the friends we make along the way to raise environmental awareness.
