Category: News

Recycling Program Expands into Other School Districts,
Helping in the Fight against Childhood Cancer

Joining some of the students from Kreamer Street Elementary School are (left to right) Jonathan Abrams, Cara Giannillo, Sean Clark and Peter and Nancy Marks.

News 12 | TV 55

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 joined with school officials, elected officials, staff members from the Stony Brook Medical Center and students to kick off the growing “Can Tabs for Kids” program at Kreamer Street Elementary School in Bellport on December 14. This program benefits the Sunrise Fund at Stony Brook University Medical Center, an organization that raises awareness for specific projects to assist families with children fighting childhood cancer.

Can Tabs for Kids began at William Floyd Elementary School on February 4. Maria Marks, a William Floyd student who was diagnosed with cancer at a young age, was the inspiration for the program. 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.

Since the program began, it has expanded to other school districts, including the Half Hollow Hills School District, Patchogue-Medford Schools and the William Floyd School District, as well as two parochial schools: Holy Angels Regional School in Patchogue and Our Lady of Mercy in Cutchogue. To date, more than one million aluminum tabs have been collected.

This year alone, an estimated 10,700 children under the age of 15 will be diagnosed with cancer this year alone, according to the American Cancer Society. It is estimated that 1,340 children will die from the disease. The ACS further states that the five-year survival rate for these children is 80%.

Gershow Recycling Manager Jonathan Abrams spoke to students about the company’s involvement with Can Tabs for Kids, how the program works and how it has expanded into other schools. He also thanked the students for their participation in this wonderful program.

 

Press:

The Long Island Advance | December 22, 2011 | Can Tabs for Kids

Fox News Channel reporter Julie Banderas (left) interviews Gershow Recycling’s Owner, Sam Gershowitz (right), for Fox News’ “On The Job Hunt” segment on November 4.

Friday, November 4, 2011: FOX News Channel came to Gershow Recycling’s facility in Medford for its “On The Job Hunt” segment.

FOX News Channel interviewed Gershow Recycling’s founder, Sam Gershowitz, and president, Kevin Gershowitz, on how the company was able to expand during bad economic times.

 

Interview with Kevin Gershowitz (Online)

Interview with Sam Gershowitz (10:00 a.m.)

Interview with Sam Gershowitz (12:45 p.m.)

Pictured: Charles Keeling (front row, right, holding banner), Safety Director, Gershow Recycling, poses with members of the newly formed Urban Search And Rescue team at the conclusion of the two-day Urban Search and Rescue drill.

In support of firefighters and emergency service personnel, Gershow Recycling opened its Medford facility to 60-65 technical specialists, firefighters, emergency medical technicians and police officers for its Urban Search And Rescue (USAR) training exercise, which was held November 6-7.

The two-day drill was performed by members of the newly formed Urban Search and Rescue Team, Suffolk County Task Force One. The team is comprised of emergency personnel from the Suffolk County volunteer fire departments, Suffolk County Fire Rescue and Emergency Services and the Suffolk County Police Department and Emergency Medical Services personnel. The team is designed to assist local fire departments with specialized equipment and skills.

At the Gershow site, task force members participated in various scenarios involving the location, rescue and initial medical stabilization of “victims” trapped inside vehicles and underneath collapsed structures. Charles Keeling, Safety Director, Gershow Recycling, assisted in planning various scenarios throughout the scrap yard with the task force members.

Urban Search And Rescue is considered a “multi-hazard” discipline, as it may be needed for a variety of emergencies or disasters, including earthquakes, hurricanes, typhoons, storms, tornadoes, floods, dam failures, technological accidents, terrorist activities and the release of hazardous materials.

Dr. Michio Kaku (center), host of Science Channel’s “Sci-Fi Science: Physics of the Impossible,” is joined by Charles Keeling (left), Safety Director, and Jonathan Abrams (right), Manager, Gershow Recycling.

Gershow Recycling was featured on the
Science Channel’s Sci-Fi Science: Physics of the Impossible – November 10, 2010

On July 28, Science Channel visited Gershow Recycling’s Medford facility for a taping of an episode of “Sci-Fi Science: Physics of the Impossible,” hosted by Dr. Michio Kaku. The episode focuses on the current and future uses of hydraulics of the machinery used at Gershow’s facility.

This is the Science Channel’s second visit to Gershow. Science Channel came to Gershow in July 2009 to focus on the current future uses of magnets at Gershow’s facility.

“Sci-Fi Science: Physics of the Impossible” aired on November 10th.

Dr. Michio Kaku is filmed next to one of the cranes at Gershow’s Medford facility for an episode of “Sci-Fi Science: Physics of the Impossible.”

Pictured: Dr. Michio Kaku (left), host of Science Channel’s “Sci-Fi Science: Physics of the Impossible,” and Ray Colon (right), Manager, Gershow Recycling.

On July 8, Science Channel visited Gershow Recycling’s Medford facility for a taping of an episode of “Sci-Fi Science: Physics of the Impossible,” hosted by Dr. Michio Kaku. The segment focused on the current and future uses of super magnets used at Gershow’s facility. The program aired on February 9, 2010.

Cameras roll as “Sci-Fi Science: Physics of the Impossible” host Dr. Michio Kaku prepares to get into a crane at Gershow Recycling’s Medford facility to operate one of the super magnets.

Channel 11 WPIX

Kevin Gershowitz, President, Gershow Recycling, says proposed legislation in Congress that would provide financial incentives for people to get rid of their older vehicles and buy newer, more fuel-efficient ones would be an effective way to provide stimulus to the U.S. economy.

One proposed House bill would grant vouchers of $3,000 to $5,000 to those who junk their older cars and purchase a newer, American-made car that gets at least 24 miles per gallon on the highway. Another House bill and a Senate companion bill call for vouchers between $2,500 and $4,500 for people who trade in their car with 18 m.p.g. or less to buy a newer car; while the new car can be either foreign or domestic, it must exceed federal government fuel efficiency standards by at least 25%.

The legislation is supported by the Obama administration, which said the purpose of the “cash-for-clunkers” legislation is two-fold: to reduce emissions as the late-model cars meet the federal government’s fuel efficiency standards, and to boost the auto industry, which has seen a significant downturn in recent months as more people have delayed the purchase of a new vehicle or purchased a used car as a cost-saving measure. As more people buy newer cars, Mr. Gershowitz says, they will take their older vehicles that are beyond the point of repair to the local scrap yards, which, in turn, will generate more business for the scrap metal recycling industry, which is an integral part of the U.S. economy, with eighty percent of all steel produced in the country coming from the $71 billion scrap metal recycling industry. A vote on the legislation is expected to take place next month.

“I applaud Congress for proposing this unique legislation,” says Mr. Gershowitz. “This gives people more money in their pockets to purchase a newer vehicle that they might not have been able to afford otherwise. The benefits to the auto industry are obvious. However, the legislation would also benefit the scrap metal industry, along with the steel industry and all of the manufacturing, financial and related industries that benefit when people purchase new cars.”

Mr. Gershowitz noted that scrap metal recycling is one of the most cyclical businesses, having seen some of his business drop off as a result of people buying used vehicles instead of new ones. Business has also suffered as people have purchased less large-item durable goods and have not made as many home improvements with the real estate industry suffering.

“In a traditional business cycle, where you are in a prototypical demand recession, anything you do to stimulate an acceleration of the cycle will get us out of this recession,” Mr. Gershowitz said. “Gershow — and the steel recycling industry — is a bellwether industry and integral to economic recovery.”

“We have been among the hardest hit, but will be one of the first industries to see the economy recover when banks free up lines of credit and people purchase cars and durable goods and begin to make home improvements.”

“Similar to the cash-for-clunkers legislation, tax incentives to encourage home buying, home improvement and business capital expenditures will help to jumpstart the economy,” says Mr. Gershowitz.