Here’s a nice little story about how the students at Dancing With Denise share happiness and kindness with the older generation.
Studio owner Denise Baller calls it the “Yaya Project,” named in honor of her mother Tina, who passed away in 2019. The studio recently celebrated its 40th anniversary, and from the very beginning, “Miss Tina” — whom Denise’s kids affectionately called “Yaya” — was a friendly, smiling face greeting everyone who entered the waiting room.
After Tina passed away, Denise wanted to come up with some way to continue spreading the happiness and kindness that her mother would share every day. The Yaya Project was born.
Every year (sometimes around Valentine’s Day, sometimes at Christmas), Dancing With Denise students each donate $5 to “adopt” a Gramma or Grampa. Denise takes all the donations and purchases small gifts, like fluffy socks, candy, stuffed animals and note pads. The students then make up small gift bags, which they deliver to residents of local nursing homes, assisted living facilities and memory care homes.
Denise makes weekly visits to elder care facilities, and this year on Valentine’s Day was able to deliver 40 gift bags to the residents. Some years she’s been able to deliver as many as 100.
One of the lucky recipients of the students’ kindness
Denise believes her Yaya Project is a great way to teach children the importance of being kind.
It’s a kind gesture to teach the kids that it doesn’t cost a lot of money to make someone smile! My mom loved “volunteering” as she would say, making everyone happy by her presence at the front desk! So in keeping her memory alive, every week I travel to various homes where elders live and share my love of music and dance with them, making them smile! A little love goes a long way!
The Yaya Project is a great example of how Denise takes her lessons well beyond the studio. By fostering community connections, she teaches her students that dance is not just a skill, but a powerful vehicle for spreading joy and making our world a better place.
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(posted 2/16/2026)
email me at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram and Threads (@missyblog)
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Many of you know that I am not the only blogger in my family. Last September, my husband Jack launched a Substack blog called Aging … better. True to its name, it focuses on topics such as nutrition and exercise that support active older living, and also often looks at caregiving for older adults.
Recent posts, for example, have included the cognitive benefits of healthy sleep habits, whether fasting leads to better health and faster weight loss, and what kinds of exercises have the most benefits. I’ve learned a lot from his research already, but I found his most recent post especially interesting.
It’s titled “Want to keep moving? Keep up those social ties,” and it talks about how social engagement can encourage older people to keep exercising more consistently. He looks at some studies which conclude that
…factors such as expansive social networks, supportive family environments, social support, neighborhood communities regarding physical activity, and favorable social interactions were positively associated with physical activity among older adults. The converse also was true, they found: lack of social support, loneliness and isolation all were associated with lower levels of activity.
In other words, the social aspect of group exercise encourages more regular activity than the relatively isolated nature of individualized workouts.
Boy, can I attest to that. Every single Tuesday night this winter you’ll find me jogging along with my Webster Village Runners club, putting in somewhere between two and three miles regardless of the dark, below-zero wind chills, heavy snow or ice in the roads. If I didn’t know for a fact that there would be a dozen other crazoids like myself braving the same elements, I would almost certainly opt out more often than not. (I actually don’t like running that much.)
But I DO know that my friends will be there. We’ll chat and laugh and endure the weather together, then reconvene at Ploty’s for more laughs and stories … and beer. The close friendships I’ve forged in the group almost make the running part fun.
And then there’s the Webster Recreation Center. Jack and I joined the Rec more than a year ago, and I almost immediately fell into a routine of attending circuit workout classes three times a week. While the class roster shifts from month to month, a core group has been there since day one. I’ve come to know them, expect them, and count on seeing them each time I walk in. It’s become a kind of workout family, and I genuinely look forward to seeing them every morning.
Jack began his blog by noting, “Some people are exercise ‘loners’ while others are exercise ‘joiners.’ For example, some like to run, walk or bike by themselves, while others join walking groups or bicycling clubs.” Well, clearly I am a joiner, and I owe a debt of thanks to all of the friends and workout buddies I’ve made who are helping encourage me to keep active, engaged … and healthy.
If you’d like to check out Jack’s blog, Aging … better for yourself, click here. (You don’t have to subscribe.) And if you’d like to join us Webster Village Runners some Tuesday evening to run or walk, you’d be very welcome. We meet at 6 p.m., and it’s totally OK if you want to wait until it gets warmer out.
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(posted 2/8/2026)
email me at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram and Threads (@missyblog)
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When words are hard to find after pregnancy loss, a new book by a local author is offering comfort, connection and hope.
The H.U.G. Book, written by former clinical social worker Sarah-Elizabeth Pilato, was launched just a few weeks ago, but is already resonating with readers across the country. Grounded in Pilato’s professional background and personal experience, the book brings together the voices of almost 30 women — and several men — from the US and Canada who have experienced miscarriage and pregnancy loss, delivering a simple yet powerful message: no one should have to walk through grief alone. It also includes short quotes and comfort words from parents, and a resource list for additional support.
On her website, Pilato explains that the book is “woven together from the real, raw and comforting stories of women who have experienced miscarriage and pregnancy loss.”
She continues,
The idea for H.U.G. didn’t begin in a brainstorm or a journal. It began in a doctor’s office—barely an hour after I was told that my baby no longer had a heartbeat. I remember the doctor’s words: “Unfortunately, miscarriage is very common. We don’t hear about it very often because women seem not to talk about it.” That sentence landed like a stone. And something inside me whispered, Then I will.
Three hours later, I was home, standing in my kitchen, making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and the writing began. Grief doesn’t always arrive in big moments. Sometimes it shows up in the ordinary. In the quiet. In the ache of what should have been. H.U.G. is my response to that ache. A book for the woman who doesn’t know what to say. A book that sits beside her when her spark feels gone. A book that says, You are not alone.
What makes The H.U.G. Book especially impactful is that it’s being distributed completely free of charge nationwide to hospitals, clinics, mental health facilities, and other settings where women may be experiencing pregnancy loss. While the book is available for purchase as a gift, its primary purpose is to be placed directly into a woman’s hands in the very moment she is experiencing loss — when she really needs a comforting hug from a friend who can truly say “I understand,” and “me, too.”
Since its launch, requests for copies have come in fromprofessionals across the country. Locally, books are already available at the RGH Perinatal Unit, Unity Perinatal Unit, Urgent Care Now in Webster, and soon to the Unity labor and delivery unit. Individuals experiencing miscarriage and pregnancy loss are also requesting copies for themselves and their loved ones.
This kind of impact has only been possible because of incredible community support. The H.U.G. Book remains 100% community funded, which allows every copy to be placed directly into the hands of women experiencing loss at no cost to them. Anyone who wishes to help sustain this mission can “donate a HUG” — sponsor books that will be distributed to hospitals, clinics, and families nationwide. Donations and book requests can be made at www.faithsparks.com/hug.
About the author
Sarah‑Elizabeth Pilato is the founder of Faith Sparks and a professional encourager with over 20 years of experience supporting women through grief, transition, and healing. She lives in Webster, where she continues to build comfort‑centered resources for women and families.
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(posted 2/5/2026)
email me at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram and Threads (@missyblog)
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I’ve sung the praises of the Webster Central School District’s music program countless times. And for good reason. For example, the district has been named a “Best Community for Music Education” for 20 years. The marching band has won three New York State titles. In 2024, Webster Schroeder string teacher Kim Derse received the RPO Outstanding Music Educator Award.
But I don’t often get to highlight a more personal and proud connection to this incredible music program.
Yamaha Music officially announced today their 2026 “40 Under 40” honorees, their annual list of outstanding music educators under 40 who exhibit action, courage, creativity, and a commitment to growth while exceeding expectations in their music programs.
You might recognize a name on this year’s list: my son, Sean Rosenberry, Webster Schroeder ’08.
Yamaha launched the “40 Under 40” program in 2021 to celebrate music education excellence. According to the Yamaha website, the program is designed to “recognize outstanding young music educators who are “making a difference by growing and strengthening their music programs…. remarkable educators whose classrooms are safe spaces where musicality, creativity and innovation thrive.”
Sean is the Lower School General Music Teacher and Director of Bands at the Horace Mann School, an independent day school in the Bronx. He was selected from hundreds of nominations submitted to Yamaha for this year’s program, received from students, parents, teachers, administrators and local instrument dealers.
Timothy Ho, Horace Mann School’s Music Coordinator, nominated Sean for the recognition, highlighting his innovative teaching methods and ability to adapt to his students’ needs.
He wrote,
Sean is a true force of nature in the music classroom, and through his work at Horace Mann School’s Lower Division he has brought immense creativity, stability, and a palpable sense of joy to his students and to the music program as a whole. Thoughtfully integrating his deep understanding of Orff Schulwerk (among other music education methodologies) with his passion for traditional Irish music and dance, Sean’s teaching is extremely rich in musical content while always appearing effortless and playful.
His years of teaching both in the Bronx and in Western New York have not only given Sean the wisdom to know how to create engaging classroom environments, but they have also given him the skills to roll with any problems that may arise.
In one such instance, Sean was beginning a combined performance with five kindergarten classes in front of hundreds of parents in the school’s large theater, when the power suddenly shut off, the emergency lights came on, and a loud incessant alarm sounded from backstage. Without missing a beat, Sean unplugged his guitar from the amp and proceeded with the performance as if there was nothing wrong. In the end, the performance was stellar.
Sean graduated from Schroeder in 2008, then earned his bachelor’s (2012) and master’s (2020) degrees in music education from Nazareth College. While living in Webster, Sean became well known in Rochester’s Irish music scene, regularly playing at restaurants, pubs, special events, and traditional Irish sessions throughout the city. He studied classical violin in high school and college but has since become proficient in a dozen more instruments, including guitar, banjo, mandolin and bodhrán, a traditional Irish frame drum.
In 2023 he was also selected to participate in the competitive Music Under New York program as one of just 350 musicians who perform in New York City’s subway stations. Now living in the Bronx, he continues to perform Irish music at pubs and local traditional Irish sessions.
You can read more about Sean and the other “40 Under 40” honorees at the Yamaha website.
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A local dance school has found a heartwarming way to share the joy of dance with children in need.
The dance families at Spins Dance Studio recently packaged up and shipped out 143 dance costumes, leotards, skirts and accessories to Tutus for Tomorrow, a nonprofit organization based in Northern New Jersey.
Tutus for Tomorrow collects new and gently-used dancewear and donates it to kids who need it. It was established by high school students Dusty and Naia Narula in late 2024, who work with nonprofit studios, studios in low-income areas, and individual dancers. Through their donations, they help make dance more welcoming and accessible for all.
The Spins Dance Studio effort was organized by Linda Meyers, whose daughter Julia dances with the school. Linda wrote,
I was clearing out Julia’s dress-up closet and was trying to find a way to recycle her dance costumes, most of which had only been worn once. I didn’t have any luck finding a local organization, and a couple of the organizations I emailed didn’t reply, but Tutus for Tomorrow did!
She approached dance studio owner Shannon Carey-Wollshleger with the idea, and Shannon embraced it enthusiastically, Linda said. So in December, Linda posted a flyer and set up a collection bin at the studio.
The donations started rolling in almost immediately. By the end of the month, they’d collected more than 140 pieces of dancewear, so many that they covered Linda’s entire family room floor when they were all spread out. With help from Julia and her best friend Lilliana, and Linda’s mom Nancy, they sorted all of the donations and packed them all up into four large boxes, which shipped out last Friday.
The collected dance wear items filled a roomLinda Meyers with her daughter Julia
Tutus for Tomorrow founder Naia Narula was thrilled when Linda wrote to her to tell her the boxes were on their way.
Naia wrote,
Wow — thank you so, so much. I am genuinely blown away by your generosity. Four boxes and around 150 items is incredible, and I cannot tell you how grateful I am for the time, care, and thought you put into collecting and sending everything. Please know that these donations will absolutely find good homes. Even as Tutus For Tomorrow continues to grow and evolve, the heart of the work has always been making sure dancewear gets into the hands of dancers and programs who truly need it, and these items will make a real difference for so many students.
Kudos to the entire Spins Dance Studio family for making a difference in the lives of young dancers.
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email me at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram and Threads (@missyblog)
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As I like to do at the end of every year, a few days ago I took a stroll back through all of the blogs I wrote in 2025. It’s always a fun exercise, as I review all of the events, business openings and closings, people and places that I found to share with you all. They reflect the extraordinary diversity of people, places and events we have here in Webster, and how close-knit this town is.
In the last 12 months, counting today, I posted 334 blogs. That works out to about 28 blogs every month. And thanks to the wonders of the Internet, I managed to keep up that pace even though I was in Prague for six weeks. It’s also interesting (at least to me) to note that the blogs were viewed more than 238,000 times. Fourteen of the top twenty blogs were about new businesses, the most popular one being an update on The Coach renovations — which was my best-read blog of the year.
As in previous years, my photo galleries following events like the Trick or Treat Trail and Fireman’s Parade were also big draws, and my History Bits — highlighting local history — are also still very popular.
If you’ve got a few minutes and would find it interesting, I’ve pulled out my favorite blogs from each month. My posts have run the gamut from special events to special people, new businesses to new trails. But you’ll notice that many of my favorite blogs are the ones where I share personal stories and everyday moments, the kinds of things that may not seem very exciting, but are what make our lives interesting and meaningful.
If something really strikes your fancy and you want to read any of them again, click through the hyperlink.
My two favorite blogs in January were about local history: the Irondequoit Bay Bridge and the first of my six-stop History Bit Webster Museum tour. The bridge blog was a follow-up on two blogs I’d posted the previous March when the Bay Bridge celebrated a birthday. Like those, this one about how the bridge had won an award also garnered several “likes.”
In February I caught up with a village neighbor of mine who will often hitch up her dogs to a dogsled and run them through village neighborhoods. This was a good example of a great community story which I was alerted to by one of my readers. Usually the best blog ideas come from my readers.
Jack’s Happy Hour celebrated its five-year anniversary in March. I first wrote about this nightly gathering of Brooksboro Dr. neighbors in 2022, when they were celebrating the occasion of having come together for a beverage every night for 1000 days straight. Last March they marked five straight years of gatherings. Every. Single. Night. For five years.That was definitely worth a blog.
In April, I posted what would become one of my most popular History Bits, about Willow Point Park. So many people fondly remember the old amusement park and shared a lot of memories. That month I also highlighted Webster Schroeder graduate Adam Marino, who was playing Frankie Valli in OFC Creations’ production of Jersey Boys.
My two favorite blogs in May were both personal reflections. I wrote about my recent trip to Prague, and how I successfully completed my first (and only)half marathon upon my return. Both were extremely memorable experiences. One of them I would like to do again. I’ll leave it to you to guess which one.
In June, my favorite blog was probably the shortest, when School Resource Officer David Herrle joined me in a dramatic reading of Mo Willems’ We Are in a Book, starring Elephant and Piggie. I was substituting at State Rd. Elementary when he happened to pop into the library and I corralled him. I love showing that police officers are fun-loving people, too.
I highlighted the WEBSTER bushesin July, the ones that welcome visitors to town on Rt. 104. They have some interesting history. I also enjoyed highlighting an unusual benefit to living in the Village of Webster when I wrote about how the Webster Marching Band practices at Spry Middle School during the summer and provides my own personal band concert.
In August, I followed up another blog idea submitted by a reader when I attended a Front Porch Pickin’ social event on Millcreek Run. I wrote a History Bit about the Forest Lawn Train accident, and shared some thoughts about some trail riding my husband and I did in Penn Yan and Waterloo, where we saw some beautiful scenery and explored some Civil War history.
I was honored to be invited to Jack’s Happy Hour again in September when the Brooksboro gang celebrated their 2,000-night anniversary. (They SAID it would be their last time, but I don’t think it was….) The whimsical Holt Rd. skeletons were back in action for Halloween, and I had to share this year’s cleverness with everyone. Also in September, I introduced everyone to young Pierson Farina and his “Returns for a Reason” initiative in which he collects returnables and donated the funds to local nonprofits.
In October I featured Judah Sealy — who doesn’t live in Webster but plays every year at the Webster Jazz Festival — who landed the role of Clarence Clemons in the new Bruce Springsteen movie. I also wrote another more personal piece about my running buddies and two races we did together that month.
In November, I caught up with Fritz Sierk, owner of The Coach, for an update on his repairs and renovations. It proved to be my best-read blog of the year. I also gave everyone a behind-the-scenes look at one of my favorite local organizations, the Friends of Webster Trails, when I tagged along to watch the installation of a trail counter. And I visited those crazy Holt Rd. skeletons again, who for the holiday season had been transformed into the Rockettes.
Finally, in December I posted my annual gallery of photos from the Village of Webster’s Winter Wonderland and Parade of Lights festivities. People love these galleries and it makes me feel good that I’m able to share events like this with people who can’t attend, especially those who now live out of state. And just a few weeks ago I wrote what might be my favorite blog of the entire year, about when a representative from Toter/Wastequip came to town and presented Pierson Farina with his very own “Returns For a Reason” toter, making his biggest Christmas wish come true.
Whew. If you’re still with me, thank you for reading this far. I hope you found it interesting to revisit some of this year’s blogs. And remember that if you ever think of something or see something that might make for an interesting blog, PLEASE drop me an email. As I said, the best blog ideas come from my readers.
Thanks again for reading, and all of your likes, comments and messages. Please have a safe and happy new year.
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email me at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram and Threads (@missyblog)
You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Subscribe” link on the right side of this page (or all the way at the bottom of the page if you’re on your phone).
Two young Webelos Scouts recently got some first-hand experience understanding children with disabilities when they visited the Bella’s Bumbas workshop to see the organization’s operation.
Bella’s Bumbas is a non-profit grassroots organization run by Webster residents Marty Parzynski and Rebecca Orr, dedicated to building miniature wheelchairs for children with a wide variety of mobility issues.
John Wood and Declan Walluk, both fourth graders from Pack 250 in Penfield, began their visit by chatting with 5-year old Lyla Deane, who has spina bifida. Lyla, a kindergartner at East Palmyra Christian School, is in a more normal-sized wheelchair now but got her first of two Bella’s Bumba wheelchairs when she was just 18 months old.
With help from Den Leader Sarah Walluk, who prompted the Scouts and asked several of her own questions, the boys learned why Lyla is in a wheelchair and what spina bifida is (“when you have stuff pop out of your body,” Lyla explained, “and you have to get an x-ray and you have to get a shot and you have to get a wheelchair”). They learned how she wheels herself around and about the accommodations she gets at school, like using an elevator and having physical therapy sessions.
But they also learned that, just like other kids, Lyla takes a bus to school, enjoys music class, likes to play outside and climb on the “spidey-thing” (which, she assured us, does NOT attract spiders), and her favorite part of school is recess. And when Sarah asked Lyla if there’s anything she thinks is really hard to do because she has spina bifida and has to be in a wheelchair, her answer was immediate: “No.”
After their conversation, the boys worked with Marty to build a Bumba wheelchair.
Marty Parzynski shows Declan Walluk how to build a BumbaLyla with Declan and the Bella’s Bumba Declan built.
The visit was part of the Scouts’ effort to earn their Aware and Care Scouting Adventure badge, which has four requirements:
Do an activity that shows the challenges of a being visually impaired.
Do an activity that shows the challenges of being hearing impaired.
Explore barriers to access.
Meet someone who has a disability or someone who works with people with disabilities about what obstacles they must overcome and how they do it.
Den Leader Walluk said that, in addition to fulfilling one of the badge’s requirements, she hoped the visit would “inspire them to see how one person can start small and make a big difference.”
But perhaps the most important lesson learned was this: even though a kid might have a disability, kids are still kids. They like to play and sing and have friends — and recess is their favorite part of school.
An update on the new Bella’s Bumbas garage
Last spring, Marty and Rebecca realized they needed to do SOMETHING. They were rapidly running out of storage and workshop space. So they held a fundraising effort to raise money to replace their small and dilapidated garage with a 22′ by 30′ garage, complete with a concrete floor, shelving, and lots of room to expand. Their goal was to raise $60,000.
By the end of August, they’d met and exceeded that goal, raising $63,000. Construction began almost immediately, and the beautiful new garage is now standing. Rebecca and Marty would like to thank:
the anonymous Bella’s Bumba supporter who donated and installed a larger overhead door
Wm. B. Morse Lumber
Catalino Gutter Systems
the amazing team of volunteers who did all of the inside finishing work including il=insulation, heating, electrical, lighting and shelving
the amazing community members from Webster and beyond who supported the project with their donations from day 1
The overall project was headed up by volunteer Tom Dobbins with the shelving design by Joe Callan.
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A couple of weeks ago I wrote a blog about how much I enjoy driving around this time of year and seeing all of the Christmas lights. I invited readers to tell me if they knew of any particularly spectacular displays so I could share them with you. I received several emails and texts in response, and a few days ago I tracked down several of the recommendations I received.
Two of them in particular are blow-you-away amazing. Like, the kind of displays a city or town will set up in a park for people to drive through. These two are just that — set up along long driveways and expansive properties, hidden from the main roads, so you have to drive THROUGH them to experience their full glory. AND they’re so popular that the homeowners have turned them into fundraisers (keep reading to learn about that).
The first is located at 838 Shoemaker, created by the former owners of Hanks Ice Cream on North Ave. in the Village of Webster. Cindy Frank wrote about their display:
We use to do a light show at our house 20 years ago. And then when we owned Hanks, moved it up there for several years till we closed. All the decorations/lights & blow ups were in a trailer in the back. My husband wanted to recreate for our youngest grandchildren this year. He pulled out all the “Xmas stuff”; lots of damage from squirrels and mice but he’s been able to recreate a lot of it.
The Franks held an official lighting ceremony on the 13th (someone nearby even told me they heard fireworks), and will have the display lit from 5 to 9 p.m. every night through New Year’s. Look for the signs on the north side of Shoemaker Rd. and drive down Candy Cane Lane to see the spectacle.
The Franks’ display is also a fundraiser for Webster Comfort Care Home and 9 Mile Point Club, a local non-profit that supports needy families. Look for the collection mailbox along the driveway toward the end of the route.
There’s no way to adequately describe this display. Cindy sent a few photos which are below, but I also tried to capture most of it on video. It does a rather poor job of capturing the splendor, but you get the idea:
This next display is as spectacular as the Franks’ and is also a fundraiser.
You can see it at 1028 Bay Rd., down a (very bumpy) dirt driveway just north of the Bay Rd./Ridge Rd. intersection in West Webster. This stop was one of the last on my lights tour, so I didn’t have the energy to drive through it, but the traffic assistant (yes, it’s big enough for a traffic assistant) told me it stretched back for quite a distance. I did take a few photos:
This amazing display is a fundraiser for Camp Haccamo, a Rotary camp which serves children and adults with special needs.
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These two next Christmas light displays which readers shared with me are not as large-scale as those first two, but are spectacular in their own right:
1213 Severn Ridge
843 Independence Dr.
And on your travels, definitely make sure to head up to Lake Rd. This last display is courtesy Holly Anderson and her family, who have been doing this beautiful presentation for 30 years (video courtesy Holly):
These photos and videos don’t do justice to the incredible-ness of these displays, so make sure to head out in the next few days to see them for yourselves.
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email me at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram and Threads (@missyblog)
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The snow is gone and temperatures aren’t TOO bad, so it’s a great time to take a walk along the Hojack Trail. And when you do, you might just come across a wee bit of holiday cheer.
An ambitious trail elf has once again added some cheerful decorations along the Hojack Trail between Drumm and Vosburg roads. Margaret Supinski was kind enough to snap a few photos and share them. This is at least the second year the decorations have appeared; around this time last year, Margaret sent along photos from the Hojack as well, which I posted in this blog.
Whoever’s responsible, thank you for spreading happiness and brightening our days!
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email me at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Instagram and Threads (@missyblog)
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You remember Pierson Farina. He’s the Spry Middle School 6th grader who established his own fund-raising operation earlier this year which he calls “Returns for a Reason.” His goal is to collect returnables from family members, neighbors, schoolmates, strangers — anyone and everyone — and every time he raises $100, he donates it to some worthy organization.
I first wrote about Pierson in September when he donated his first $100 check to the Webster Volunteer Fire Department, and then again in October to report that he’d already raised and donated $200 more, to Lollypop Farm and Honor Flight Rochester.
But that’s only a small part of the Pierson Farina story, and not what today’s blog is about.
You see, Pierson loves all things about garbage and recycling. Or, more specifically (as he says on his “96 Gallons of Fun!” YouTube channel), he loves “garbage trucks, garbage cans, recycle bins, composting, you name it!” He owns at least two model garbage trucks, runs his own small business cleaning garbage cans for his neighbors, and the trash and recycling truck drivers who service his street have gotten to know him very well.
Pierson loves garbage trucks and garbage cans so much that back in October he wrote a letter to Toter, Inc., a waste container manufacturer based in Statesville, NC, asking for his “dream Christmas present,” an official Toter wheeled cart — specifically, a green one with an orange lid.
No one, not even his mother, Catherine, expected a response. So she was just as surprised as anyone when a Toter representative reached out about a month later to arrange a surprise special delivery and make Pierson’s Christmas wish come true.
That heartwarming event unfolded Wednesday afternoon when Toter Regional Sales Manager Jamie Butler pulled up in front of Pierson’s house and unloaded the Toter cart. Moments later, a Casella Waste Systems side-loader garbage truck rumbled up behind her and started blasting its horn.
At first, Pierson had no idea why a garbage truck was idling outside his house. But when he stepped and spotted the Toter — a green one with an orange lid — topped with a giant green bow and personalized with his name and “Returns for a Reason,” he was speechless.
After Pierson had a chance to thoroughly inspect his shiny new recycling cart, Casella truck driver Anthony McQueen invited him to sit in the truck and operate the side-loader, grabbing and “emptying” the can into the truck’s bay. Then Pierson placed his first full bag of returnables into the can — the first of many to come, for sure.
It was a day that he will not soon forget.
Channel 13 was there as well, and filmed the whole event for their Wednesday night “Bright Spot” segment, which you can see here. (He was also the featured Bright Spot when he presented his check to the WVFD.)
Jamie Butler presents the Toter to PiersonPierson even got some Casella swagPierson at the controlsWith Casella driver Anthony McQueenDepositing his first bag of returnables
More about Toter, from their corporate office:
Toter has been a leader in waste and recycling solutions for more than 50 years, providing durable, innovative containers that help keep neighborhoods clean and sustainable. As a national company, we proudly serve haulers, cities, and towns across the country (in Webster they work with Casella Waste Systems) including communities like Webster—with products designed to make waste collection easier, safer, and more efficient. Our commitment to quality and sustainability continues to set the standard in the industry, and we’re excited to share stories that inspire creativity and community pride.
Marty Bryant, Toter CEO, wrote, “Pierson’s enthusiasm for our products is a great reminder of how creativity starts young. We’re proud to bring his vision to life and hope this Toter container inspires even more content on his (YouTube) channel.”
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