MEDIA ADVISORY: Gershow Recycling Inspires Holiday Spirit with

LongIsland.com

Who: Jonathan Abrams, Manager, Gershow Recycling Sean Clark, Principal, Kreamer Street Elementary School Linda Rozzi, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum Instruction and Technology, South Country School District Nancy Marks, Mother of William Floyd Elementary School Student ...

Print Email

Who: Jonathan Abrams, Manager, Gershow Recycling
Sean Clark, Principal, Kreamer Street Elementary School
Linda Rozzi, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum Instruction and Technology, South Country School District
Nancy Marks, Mother of William Floyd Elementary School Student Maria Marks
Cara Giannillo, School Transition and Re-Entry Coordinator, Stony Brook University Medical Center
Dr. Laura Hogan, Faculty Member, Department of Pediatrics, Stony Brook University Medical Center
Local elected officials

What: In this season of giving, there is no better way for young children to get into the holiday spirit than doing what they can in the fight against childhood cancer. Gershow Recycling is joining with Kreamer Street Elementary School to kick off the "Can Tabs for Kids" program. Representatives from Gershow will be joined by local elected officials and staff members from Stony Brook Medical Center, who will explain how the program works.

The program, which began in February at William Floyd Elementary School, has since expanded to Holy Angels Regional School in Patchogue, Our Lady of Mercy School in Riverhead, St. Jude's Parish Outreach in Mastic Beach, Half Hollow Hills School District, Patchogue-Medford Schools and William Floyd School District.

The idea for 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.

This year, students at Kreamer Street Elementary School began collecting aluminum tabs from soda and pet food cans and placed them in collection bins located in their classrooms. When they wanted to find a worthwhile cause for which they could collect the tabs, that is when they learned about Can Tabs for Kids.

The tabs will be brought to Gershow, where they will be weighed and recycled. Gershow will pay for the tabs and match the amount the school has raised (up to $5,000 annually), with all funds going to benefit the Sunrise Fund at Stony Brook University Medical Center. (Example: $50 worth of tabs will equal $100 for the Sunrise Fund.)

This year alone, an estimated 10,700 children under the age of 15 will be diagnosed with cancer and an estimated 1,340 children will die from the disease, according to the American Cancer Society.

When: Wednesday, December 14, 2011
9:40 a.m.

Where: Kreamer Street Elementary School
37 Kreamer Street, Bellport, NY

Directions: Sunrise Highway (Rte. 27) to Exit 56 toward Yaphank/Station Rd./Bellport. Make a right onto Station Road. Turn right onto Kreamer Street and go 2 miles. Make a right onto Kreamer Street. School is on the right-hand side.

Photo Ops: Mr. Abrams speaking to the students. Mr. Abrams, Mr. Clark, Ms. Giannillo and Dr. Hgan with the tabs collected by the students.

###

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 the 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 "Conserving 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.