Jackie Dean has been driving the city's recycling truck for several years and, while residents are mostly pleased when bottles, cans, papers and other recyclables are collected, Mr. Dean said he had never received a reception like the one he got last week.
"When I was pulling out with the truck, a woman stopped her car to let me go ahead of her and she's pointing at the truck and she's giving me the thumbs up," Mr. Dean said.
Some minutes and a few blocks later while in Green Ridge, Mr. Dean arrived at a stop light and was greeted with smiles and even some catcalls. "You should have seen the looks I was getting. Everyone was pleased. Everyone approved," he said.
The approval was for the freshly painted, all-pink recycling truck Mr. Dean was driving.
Blushing ride
The $6,700 transformation of the old white-and-rusted Pack-Master was done for two reasons, Department of Public Works Director Jeff Brazil said.
"We needed a paint job on the vehicle and the mayor and the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation got together and thought it would be a good way to continue to raise awareness of breast cancer," Mr. Brazil said.
"It is the most visible piece of city equipment," Mayor Chris Doherty said. "This truck is in the neighborhoods all of the time and, if it could help people to think about breast cancer, it is a great thing."
Teaming breast cancer awareness with the idea of recycling was something the local Komen Foundation had long wanted to do, said Dolly Woody, the executive director of the organization's local unit.
"It makes sense, because we are promoting going green as well as breast cancer awareness," Ms. Woody said. "I think what the city is doing is wonderful and going green is so important. While our mission is breast cancer, we want people to know the importance of recycling and protecting the environment, too."
The freshly painted recycling truck is also decorated with pink ribbons, the symbol of breast-cancer awareness. Additionally, the city plans to stock the vehicle with pink recycling bags, Mr. Doherty said.
This isn't the first time Scranton officials have teamed with the Komen Foundation to help bring attention to the struggles of the breast-cancer awareness movement.
Most recently, during a night at the city's annual Holiday Light Show at Nay Aug Park, foundation members and cancer survivors were invited by officials to hand out pink bags filled with information regarding mammograms and screenings.
Spread the word
That night, the foundation reported it had handed out hundreds of brochures that included information on how low- to moderate-income individuals and those without health insurance could receive free mammograms, screenings and other procedures.
Additionally, Scranton officials have regularly sponsored the foundation's annual 5K Race for the Cure.
"This is a good thing," Mr. Brazil said. "At first, when we talked about a pink truck, some people weren't too sure. But, already, with the reaction from our citizens and the Komen Foundation, we see that this is definitely a good thing."
With more than 20 trucks in its fleet, DPW has at least three more vehicles that need fresh paint. Plans are already in progress to use those trucks to help raise awareness of other important causes.
"We plan to do a blue truck for autism awareness and we plan to do (brown) for colorectal cancer," Mr. Brazil said. "Unfortunately, there are more causes than trucks."
Contact the writer: sbrown@timesshamrock.com. To see more of The Times-Tribune or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.thetimes-tribune.com/. Copyright (c) 2009, The Times-Tribune, Scranton, Pa. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.
Copyright (C) 2009, The Times-Tribune, Scranton, Pa.