Georgia Custodian Named ‘Janitor of the Year’

Cintas recently announced the winner of its annual “Janitor of the Year” to celebrate the individuals who help keep our schools clean, safe and running efficiently.

Custodial staff are a big part of the life of every school. Janitors make a big difference in the daily lives of students, faculty and staff, from nightly cleanups of classrooms to mopping up lunchroom spills and more. “Custodians are essential to providing a safe and healthy place for children to learn,” said John Barrett executive director of the International Sanitation Supply Association (ISSA).

To celebrate these individuals, Cintas Corp., Mason, OH, created its “Janitor of the Year” program. This year, Richard “Rich” Toomey from Kelly Mill Elementary in Cumming, GA, was elected in nationwide balloting with more than 200,000 votes! Toomey offers a great example of the kind of janitor that schools need, a hardworking individual with a caring and dedicated attitude, the release said. From climbing on the roof to retrieve lost balls for kids at recess, to digging through cafeteria trash cans for a student’s missing dental retainer – no matter what the job is, he’s there to help with a smile on his face, the release said. He even went above and beyond to make sure a classroom with a student who had a compromised immune system received extra cleaning each day!

The honors for Toomey as “Janitor of the Year” include a $10,000 check. His school gets $5,000 in Cintas and Rubbermaid products and services. New this year is a bonus for the top three finalists. These runners-up include David “Mr. Dave” Jeffers from Brokaw Early Learning Center in Owego, IL, and Rodney “Mr. Peanuts” Esser from Park Elementary School in Cross Plains WI. Both received $1,000 cash prizes, plus all-expense-paid trips for two this November to the ISSA show In Las Vegas. During that event, they’ll be celebrated for their above-and-beyond service. Click here for more information.