By pitching in the first aluminum can and used cell phone to recycling bins at the hospital on Friday, June 5th, Gary G. Kendrick, Daviess Community Hospital CEO led hospital employees to join the Daviess County Chamber’s recently announced “Recycling for Revitalization” program.
Kendrick told a crowd of about 100 DCH employees gathered outside at the hospital on Friday afternoon that the goal is for the facility is to raise enough money through recycling efforts to pay for a fountain planned for the new green space park in downtown Washington. “With the used cell phones we collect here and the aluminum cans we collect from employees, we can fund the fountain,” said Kendrick. “That’s estimated to be $7,000.”
The total price tag for the downtown green space park is $50,000. The Chamber’s “Recycling for Revitalization” program gets funds for the project by taking used cell phones, aluminum cans, sheet metal, and other items for recycling.
The hospital signed up early to help with the program by being a collection point for used cell phones. Kendrick said that the used cell phone collection box, along with information about the new green space and the hospital’s recycling and energy conservation efforts, will be set up in the hospital’s lobby.
He told employees they would also be able to go a step further by contributing aluminum cans. “We are now able to answer the request that many of you have made. That is, to have a way to recycle aluminum cans here at the hospital. With the city’s help, we now have recycling bins for you to contribute those cans to the project as well.”
Washington Mayor Larry Haag and Chamber Executive Director Charles Selby were also present and spoke to employees at the kick off.
“We are thrilled to have the hospital be a partner in this program and for the facility to be a collection site for the cell phones,” said Selby. “It’s a way to create something new without asking you to spend more. Thank you all for being part of this project.”
Washington Mayor Larry Haag praised employees for the recycling and energy conservation efforts and for joining together to help create the new green space. He said he believes the goal set at DCH is reasonable. “Right now, one aluminum can contributes one cent toward the new green space. Keep that in mind when you have a can that can be part of this—it adds up. When many people work together to contribute, you will make a difference.”
The hospital has 580 employees and has set a goal to collect both unused cell phones and 700,000 aluminum cans, or 1,200 cans per employee, over the next 6 months. | 
Gary G. Kendrick, Daviess Community Hospital CEO
helps employees place aluminum cans in bins for
recycling at a kick off held Friday, June 5 at Daviess Community Hospital. The hospital is participating in
the Daviess County Chamber of Commerce’s
“Recycling for Revitalization” Program which
gets funds for a planned green space in
downtown Washington by taking
products for recycling. |