: Jonathan Abrams, Manager, Gershow Recycling
Keith Fasciana, principal, William Floyd Elementary School
Maria Marks and Zachary Shiekh, students, William Floyd Elementary School
Dr. Robert Parker, associate director, Stony Brook University Cancer Center
Debra Giugliano, Director of the School Re-Entry Program, Stony Brook University Medical Center
What: Gershow Recycling is supporting Can Tabs for Kids, a fundraising project to help in the fight against childhood cancer. All proceeds will benefit the Sunrise Fund at Stony Brook University, an organization that raises funds and awareness about childhood cancer. An assembly will be held to announce the start of the program and Gershow will make a donation to help kick it off. Can tab collection bins will be placed in all elementary schools in the William Floyd School District.
Students will collect aluminum tabs from soda and pet food cans and place them in collection bins located in their classrooms. The tabs will be brought to Gershow, where they will be weighed and recycled. Gershow will pay for the tabs and submit a matching donation to benefit the Sunrise Fund. (Example: $50 worth of tabs will equal $100 for the Sunrise Fund.)
The program was inspired by Maria Marks, a William Floyd Elementary School student who was diagnosed with cancer at a young age. Between the ages of two weeks and six months, she underwent numerous chemotherapy sessions. The constant exposure to the radiation resulted in Maria losing her hearing in both ears and now she must wear hearing aids. Her cancer has since been in remission.
When she was in the third grade, she noticed the school announcing fundraisers for diabetes awareness and for the victims of the earthquake in Haiti, but there were no fundraisers for childhood cancer awareness. She brought that to the attention of school officials and her parents, Peter and Nancy Marks, who had recently become involved with the Sunrise Fund.
When: Friday, January 21, 2011
12:30 p.m.
Where: William Floyd Elementary School
111 Lexington Road
Shirley, NY
Directions: LIE to Exit 68 (William Floyd Parkway/CR 46) toward Shirley. Go 4.7 miles. Turn left at Lawrence Road, then turn left again on Lexington Road North. School is on the right-hand side.
Photo Ops: Mr. Abrams joined by Mr. Fasciana, Maria Marks and Dr. Parker with the tabs collected so far. Mr. Abrams speaking to the students. Mr. Abrams presenting the check to Mr. Fasciana, Maria, Zachary, Ms. Giugliano and Dr. Parker.
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Started in 1964 by Sam Gershowitz, Gershow Recycling began as a two man operation with a tractor and trailer, a boom truck and the first portable car flattener. Now with the second generation carrying on the legacy, Gershow generates over 750 jobs, contributing millions of dollars to local economy, while helping to preserve Long Island's environment. Gershow Recycling takes aluminum, brass, copper, steel, cast iron, appliances, cars and vehicles. In keeping with its philosophy of "Preserving the Future by Recycling the Past," Gershow Recycling purchases scrap metal that would have otherwise wound up in local landfills, and turns them into high-quality scrap products for recycling. The company produces both ferrous and non-ferrous products.