
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, March 10, 1995                   TAG: 9503140028
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: 1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: NANCY GLEINER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

HONOR THY REFUSE COLLECTOR

Of all the service personnel we deal with regularly in our day-to-day lives, the garbage man is perhaps the most overlooked.

In our throwaway mentality, we accumulate 160 millions tons of garbage each year, enough to fill a convoy of 10-ton garbage trucks 145,000 miles long, or enough to circle the equator almost six times.

Where would we be without him or her showing up curbside every week? Up to our necks in you-know-what, that's where.

Ever done anything nice for your trash collector, that slinger of smelly spilth, that remover of refuse? Oh, pardon, for your residential sanitation worker? Was he ever on your people-I-have-to-bake-for-at-Christmas list? Chances are no.

Now's your opportunity to redeem yourself. Nominate him for The First Annual Ruffies Sanitation Worker of the Year contest. The grand prize winner will be awarded $10,000 in New York in October. The runner up will receive $5,000, and the winner's town will get $2,500.

If your candidate wins the grand prize, you'll receive free garbage bags for life. The runner-up's nominator will receive a one-year supply.

To nominate your favorite flinger of filth, call 1-800-GOT-TRASH to request an application. Entries must be received by Aug. 1.

And don't forget the cookies at Christmas.

by CNB