Forsyth County’s Kelly Mill Elementary School custodian Rich Toomey Wednesday received the Custodian of the Year award from Cintas, recognizing him nationally for his service.
Custodian of the Year is an award given by Cintas to custodians who go above and beyond to create a safe and clean environment for their school. Toomey was one of 10 finalists for the award across the country. The public award is decided based on community input, from the point of nomination to the final vote.
“The people in this building, in this county, in this community are just amazing,” Toomey said after receiving the award. “And they just have shown me so much kindness and outpouring of love. It's just been an amazing experience. I really have no words for it. Something I'll never forget.”
Toomey was surprised by the entire Kelly Mill faculty and student body Wednesday when they ushered him in a side door of the gymnasium to thunderous applause and “Mr. Rich” chants from the children. With a smile ear-to-ear, and hugs from his family, he joined Cintas officials and Kelly Mill principal Tracey Smith on stage to accept his award, paying special tribute to his custodial staff.
As part of the award, Toomey was given $10,000 and an all-expense-paid trip to Las Vegas, Nevada. Additionally, Kelly Mill Elementary School will receive $5,000 worth of Cintas and Rubbermaid products that will assist the custodial staff. The school will also receive a facility assessment and consulting package from The World Cleaning Industry Association, which is valued at $30,000.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of Cintas giving the award to a custodian, according to Cintas Marketing Manager Christiny Betsch.
“We just feel like custodians, they do so much work,” Betsch said. “Sometimes they're kind of behind the scenes. They're not always getting the recognition they deserve. So we just love making this time of year really special for them.”
Nominations for the award are taken all year leading up to April, with Cintas receiving thousands of submissions, according to Betsch. The top 10 are narrowed down by Cintas and then the public votes for the winner. The award is nationally recognized, as custodians from any educational institution in the United States are eligible, from elementary schools up to college campuses, as well as both private and public schools.
Toomey’s original profile provided to Cintas shared stories of him climbing on the school roof to chase run-away balls for the kids, planting crops, assisting teachers with heavy items and sifting through trash to help one student find a mouth retainer.
The other nine finalists each received $1,000 from Cintas, a cleaning supply package from Rubbermaid and complimentary tuition to a virtual Cleaning Management event.
Toomey and the other top two finalists will also receive special recognition at the International Sanitary Supply Association (ISSA) Worldwide Cleaning Industry Association show in Las Vegas in November.
