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Recycled Cups Runneth Over

Cups from football game raise money for Duke Children's Hospital

Ramsey and Logan Elliott and Jake and Keir Schwarze collect plastic cups at a Duke home football game.

As hundreds of football fans watched the final minutes of last year's Duke-Wake Forest game in Wallace Wade Stadium, brothers Ramsey Elliott, 12, and Logan Elliott, 14, turned their eyes from the field to the stands.

The goal: plastic cups.

The Elliott brothers -- along with friends, Jake Schwarze, 14, and Keir Schwarze, 11 -- rushed through the stands, gathering dozens of plastic cups. They carried the plastic towers to a "Duke Recycles" booth near a stadium gate, dropped them into a large blue bin and selected prizes such as Duke clocks and suncatchers.

"The cup contest is a fun way to wrap up an afternoon at the game," said Carol Elliott, Ramsey's and Logan's mother and a regulatory coordinator with Duke Medicine's Adult Blood and Marrow Transplant Program. "The boys started forming their game plan as soon as the announcer mentioned a contest."

Fans who attend Blue Devil home football games, including three in September, will hear an announcement about Duke's Recycle for the Children contest at the end of each game. Fans can hustle to collect the most plastic cups and help raise money for Duke Children's Hospital & Health Center.

Duke employees and their families can get involved in the Recycle for the Children program by competing in the cup contest, tossing recyclable items into collection bins at home games and suggesting volunteer groups to help gather recyclable items after the games. The volunteers, along with parents and chaperones, receive free admission to the game and are recognized by the announcer.

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"Along with supporting the kids at Duke Children's Hospital, this program helps the environment and educates people about the importance of recycling," said Arwen Buchholz, coordinator for Duke's recycling and waste reduction programs. "Volunteering for the Recycle for Children program is a great way for groups to earn community service hours and enjoy an exciting football game for free."

During last year's football season, more than 1,000 pounds of plastic and 2,000 pounds of aluminum and glass were collected. The proceeds from the sale of recyclable items are used to buy toys, games and art supplies for the children's hospital.

"I attend the home football games and it is always great to hear the announcement about the contest and the volunteer groups because I know it helps us provide many hours of positive distraction for our young patients," said Edith Rosenblatt, coordinator of pediatric volunteer services at Duke Children's Hospital & Health Center.

Boy Scout Troop 43 of Mebane has assisted several times with the program as a community service project.

"Volunteering allowed the scouts to learn a lot more about recycling and they had a big time at the games," said the troop's leader, Jeff Harward, a landscape specialist with Duke Facilities Management. "Plus, we were proud to help raise money for such a great children's hospital."