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Marco poses beside the poster for Rob's "Last Toast." The two were inseparable friends.[/caption]
Early Saturday morning the Go Green bottle depot hosted a memorial for Rockin' Rob, the long-time binner who passed away at the beginning of November. He was as well-liked as he was well-known. Word of the farewell get-together spread through the binning community for over a week after it was set for the first Saturday after welfare cheque day.
Not every binner made it -- I didn't -- but at least 40 of his peers did show up at the bottle depot at 8 a.m. to remember and say one last goodbye.
Go Green's owners, Kathleen & Anthony Ryder, had opened their doors for the "Last Toast" an hour before their regular business hours began -- Rob had been a friend of theirs for a very long time. Thanks to the generosity of Go Green, and outreach from the nearby Yukon Shelter, there was ample food and beverage for everyone in attendance. Many of the binners also brought food.
Anthony remembered his friend Robbie in a heartfelt speech that I wish I'd heard. Well I did try vainly to hear the audio on the cell phone video Anthony showed me later in the day; I certainly heard the emotion in his voice. I'm told no less than 10 of the binners present took a turn to speak. There were more than a few tears mixed with the smiles and laughter, as people reminisced about their friend.
Like most bottle depot's in Vancouver, Go Green has people sort their bottles in red plastic flats; the flats stack up on the counting table and binners are in the habit of helping to distribute them back to the sorting tables. So "Grab a few" has long been Anthony's signature greeting to his regulars.
I hope Anthony took one last opportunity to exhort Robbie to "grab a few," because Saturday morning, death be damned, Rockin' Rob made it to the bottle depot one last time, and good binner that he was, he cashed in big. Click the image to enlarge it.
Marco poses beside the poster for Rob's "Last Toast." The two were inseparable friends.[/caption]Early Saturday morning the Go Green bottle depot hosted a memorial for Rockin' Rob, the long-time binner who passed away at the beginning of November. He was as well-liked as he was well-known. Word of the farewell get-together spread through the binning community for over a week after it was set for the first Saturday after welfare cheque day.
An unprecedented show of respect
Not every binner made it -- I didn't -- but at least 40 of his peers did show up at the bottle depot at 8 a.m. to remember and say one last goodbye.
Go Green's owners, Kathleen & Anthony Ryder, had opened their doors for the "Last Toast" an hour before their regular business hours began -- Rob had been a friend of theirs for a very long time. Thanks to the generosity of Go Green, and outreach from the nearby Yukon Shelter, there was ample food and beverage for everyone in attendance. Many of the binners also brought food.
Anthony remembered his friend Robbie in a heartfelt speech that I wish I'd heard. Well I did try vainly to hear the audio on the cell phone video Anthony showed me later in the day; I certainly heard the emotion in his voice. I'm told no less than 10 of the binners present took a turn to speak. There were more than a few tears mixed with the smiles and laughter, as people reminisced about their friend.
"Grab a few Robbie!"
Like most bottle depot's in Vancouver, Go Green has people sort their bottles in red plastic flats; the flats stack up on the counting table and binners are in the habit of helping to distribute them back to the sorting tables. So "Grab a few" has long been Anthony's signature greeting to his regulars.
I hope Anthony took one last opportunity to exhort Robbie to "grab a few," because Saturday morning, death be damned, Rockin' Rob made it to the bottle depot one last time, and good binner that he was, he cashed in big. Click the image to enlarge it.
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