Hampton schools to stage Recycle Rama
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Go green and clean while you help the community.
That's the goal of the Hampton Township School District Recycle Rama to be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 24 in the parking lot of the high school on McCully Road.
The third annual drive will accept much more than newspapers and plastic. It provides an opportunity for participants to give back to their community by sending reusable items to charitable organizations throughout the North Hills and beyond. The event is open to any local resident.
In honor of Earth Day, the Rose E. Schneider YMCA, in partnership with Cranberry Rotary and the Pittsburgh-based medical relief agency Global Links, will provide a chance to recycle previously used medical equipment.
The YMCA will act as a drop-off site for used crutches, nonmotorized wheelchairs and canes. The donations will go to assist ongoing humanitarian efforts in Haiti, recovering from January's devastating earthquake.
These sometimes tough-to-recycle, hard-to-pitch items will be sent by Global Links to hospitals and clinics in Haiti, where urgent need continues.
This equipment can be dropped off at YMCA on Ehrman Road in Cranberry from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays throughout April only. All items donated should be clean and in good condition, with no broken parts.
Glen Geary, technical education teacher at Hampton Middle School, came up with the idea three years ago, following the successful introduction of the Abitibi paper recycling program in the district. Abitibi Consolidated pays organizations $5 to $20 per ton for recycled paper, according to the company's website.
The green and yellow Abitibi containers are located at each school to collect used newspapers and magazines, catalogs, envelopes, folders, fax and copy paper, and colored paper from students and parents.
Mr. Geary, who lives on the South Side, was familiar with recycling programs in the city that accepted appliances and tires for refurbishing and resale, and he wanted to bring such a program to his school district.
So he called upon the district's Parent-Teacher Organizations and suggested a districtwide event that would help the environment.
Recycle Rama has been getting better every year since.
"The community loves it," Mr. Geary said.
The day is organized by a group of parents and teachers who volunteer to oversee the project. About 50 to 75 students from all of the district's schools participate, as well as local Scout troops.
First Published April 15, 2010 12:00 am
