Category: Community Support

Annual Event Co-Sponsored by Gershow Recycling

The Patchogue Lions Club held its sixteenth annual “Christmas in June” event on Thursday, June 23 at Boomer’s Family Fun Center in Medford. For the eleventh consecutive year, as part of its ongoing community service, Gershow Recycling sponsored the event by donating $1,500.

One hundred forty-one school children from seven elementary schools in the Patchogue-Medford School District were chosen to participate in this year’s event by their respective principals. Since the Patchogue Lions Club has started “Christmas in June,” more than 1,800 children have participated in this fun-filled event.

“This was a nice way to give these children an opportunity to have some fun and spend the day with their friends,” said Vito LaMonica, Event Chairman and Past President, Patchogue Lions Club. “It gave the children a place to enjoy themselves, especially with the school year drawing to a close.”

Children were treated to lunch and then given full access for several hours to attractions, including rides, go-carts, wall climbing, bumper boats, and arcade games.

“We were very happy in joining with the Patchogue Lions Club to make this day possible for these children,” said Jonathan Abrams, Manager, Gershow Recycling. “They always have a great time here. With the summer season beginning, the timing couldn’t be better.”

For more information, call the Patchogue Lions at (631) 654-3737, or visit www.patchoguelions.com. For more information about Gershow Recycling, please call (631) 289-6188 or visit www.gershow.com.

In support of local fire departments, Gershow Recycling donated the use of 30 cars for the Ninth Annual Chuck Varese Vehicle Extrication Tournament, which was held at the Northport Fire Department’s Training Grounds at Steer’s Pit in Northport on May 14. Gershow also donated the use of its Huntington facility to enable teams to practice in the week leading up to the tournament.

The tournament involved 21 teams of four to six firefighters working to extricate a “victim” from a “crash” using the Jaws of Life. Each team was judged on the amount of time it took to perform the extrication, the handling of equipment and the safety procedures they followed. After the tournament, the vehicles were brought back to Gershow’s facility, where they were shredded and recycled.

“This is a wonderful event,” said Henry Tobin, Deputy Mayor, Village of Northport. “It’s prestigious for Northport, but it’s also great training for our guys and other fire departments. Most importantly, it helps them determine where they need to improve to continue saving lives. We’re very lucky in Northport and we deeply admire and value the men and women who devote their lives to this important line of work.”

As part of a Career Day presentation, Gershow Manager Jonathan Abrams visited Ms. Donna Sommo’s Family & Consumer Science class on November 12, 2015 at North Country Road Middle School in Miller Place, where Mr. Abrams’ son, Andrew, is a student. Mr. Abrams described his position at Gershow, what his job entails, what other jobs are available at Gershow and the educational requirements needed for each job.

Mr. Abrams also described the types of metal that Gershow recycles and the process by which they are made into various scrap products. He also brought in pieces of scrap metal and magnets to show the students the difference between ferrous and non-ferrous metals. He additionally explained the importance of the recycling industry to the U.S. economy and its economic impact worldwide. In addition to providing a history of the company, Mr. Abrams showed the students how Gershow is involved with the community and where the company has appeared on TV.

Each student received a recyclable tote bag, magnet, folder and activity book, courtesy of Gershow Recycling.

Gershow Recycling generously donated materials to the Islip High School catapult team for improvements to its catapult, named the “Jack-O-Splatter.” Gershow supplied the team with much-needed replacement parts such as a steel rod and metal bearings to help launch the pumpkins further and more accurately.

The team won its division at the Long Island Championship Pumpkin Fling, which took place at the Suffolk County Farm in Yaphank on October 24, 2015, with a distance of 1,327 feet (more than 0.25 mile). This broke the team’s own Long Island record of 1,049.9 feet and the world record in its division by almost 100 feet. The pumpkin was flung at a speed of 160 miles per hour.

Pictured: Eric Kugler (left), Manager, Gershow’s Brooklyn facility, is joined by members of the FDNY after an extrication drill at the department’s 150th Summer Block Party in Brooklyn on September 12.In support of local firefighters, Gershow Recycling donated the use of a vehicle to the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) for an extrication practice drill during the FDNY’s 150th Summer Block Party in front of Engine 231/Ladder 120 in Brooklyn on September 12.

Those in attendance saw firefighters performing an extrication drill using the ”Jaws of Life” to remove a ”victim” from a ”crash.” Gershow has donated the use of its vehicles to numerous fire departments in the metropolitan New York area and has hosted firefighters, Emergency Medical Service technicians and first responders at its locations for extrication exercises, mass casualty drills and Urban Search and Rescue training exercises.

In addition to the extrication exercise, the FDNY provided games, food, music and fun for the entire family. Attendees also learned about the formation and the rich history of the FDNY.

Gershow Recycling was honored at The Daniel Brooks Memorial Education Awards for Students with Cancer ceremony on July 29 for its ongoing involvement with “Can Tabs for Kids,” a program that raises money for the Sunrise Fund at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital in the fight against childhood cancer. Gershow Manager Jonathan Abrams represented the company at the event, which was held at the Charles Wang Center at Stony Brook University.

As part of the Can Tabs for Kids program, local schools, organizations and municipalities bring in aluminum tabs from soft drinks and pet food cans and place them in collection bins. Throughout the year, the bags are taken out of the bins and brought to Gershow, where the contents are weighed and recycled. Since Can Tabs for Kids has been established, more than $6,500 has been raised. All of the money raised went to the Sunrise Fund at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital, an organization that raises awareness and funds for specific projects to assist local families.

According to the American Childhood Cancer Organization, cancer is the second-leading cause of death among children between the ages of 4 and 14; almost 2,000 children will die of cancer this year in the United States.

The Daniel Brooks Memorial Education Awards are given each year to students who have graduated from the Pediatric Oncology program at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital and are pursuing post-high school education or training. The award was established in memory of Daniel Brooks, a Port Jefferson resident who completed treatment for leukemia at Stony Brook University Medical Center. He went on to obtain a degree in Special Education then returned to the medical center, where he played a significant role in the development of the School Intervention and Re-Entry Program, which transitions children with cancer back to the classroom following treatment. Sadly, Mr. Brooks’ life was tragically cut short in a motor vehicle accident. Since its inception in 2003, one hundred six patients have received 287 awards totaling $218,000.