Volunteers gather to clean up Pride crosswalk

A group of volunteers got together to restore a symbol of Pride.

A rainbow-coloured crosswalk installed at 23rd Street and 4th Avenue was defaced earlier this week, prompting a call for help cleaning it up.

Dozens showed up to scrub off skid marks left across the crosswalk.

The cleanup effort took on a party atmosphere, with a vehicle from the Saskatoon Pride Festival providing music.

There was a small setback early on, as a group of men hollered anti-gay slurs from a passing pickup truck.

But Pride co-chair Danny Papadatose took the ugly words in stride, saying it only made him more determined to celebrate the festival.

“It’s fuel for the fire for sure. I mean, it’s discouraging – I don’t know anyone who can wake up and hear that every day and not feel discouraged , and not feel like they don’t matter – but we are worth it,” he said.

After some scrubbing and a bit of fresh paint, the crosswalk was put right by late Tuesday evening.

—With files from Erin McNutt