[April 20, 2011] Tobyhanna man gets $10k for going green [The Times-Tribune, Scranton, Pa.] Tweet (Times-Tribune (Scranton, PA) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) April 20--Tony Tolano was rewarded generously for his switch to electronic billing with Verizon. Officials of Verizon, the New York-based telecommunications giant, presented Mr. Tolano, 28, of Tobyhanna, with a $10,000 check on Tuesday at the company's Scranton office. Mr. Tolano, a computer scientist at Pickatinny Arsenal in New Jersey, was selected from among 1.5 million Verizon customers who enrolled in paperless billing who were eligible for the grand prize in Verizon's "Great Paper Escape" sweepstakes. "I was in shock," Mr. Tolano said of his reaction when Verizon officials notified him of his good fortune. "I was like, 'no way.'â??â??" Tuesday's award reflects Verizon's commitment to environmental responsibility, company officials said. "We are always looking for ways to have a positive influence on the environment," Verizon spokesman Lee Gierczynski said. Verizon has converted 1,900 of its 40,000 vehicles to alternative fuels, said James Gowan, the company's vice president and chief of sustainability. The switch to electronic billing has averted the use of 5,000 tons of paper, Verizon reported, the company collected 500,000 personal computers from employees in 2010 and refurbished and recycled most of them. "We're not going green just for green's sake," Mr. Gowan said. "It's creating sustainable business." During his acceptance of a symbolic electronic check, Mr. Tolano said he switched to electronic payments because he gets too many solicitations and business transmissions by mail. "My shredder was wearing out, and I wanted to give it a break," he joked. Mr. Tolano plans to spend some of his jackpot on a vacation in Hawaii with his wife, Norkee. He also plans to address some debts. "It will help out with student loans," said Mr. Tolano, a graduate of East Stroudsburg University. Contact the writer: [email protected] ___ To see more of The Times-Tribune or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.thetimes-tribune.com/. Copyright (c) 2011, The Times-Tribune, Scranton, Pa. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For more information about the content services offered by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services (MCT), visit www.mctinfoservices.com, e-mail [email protected], or call 866-280-5210 (outside the United States, call +1 312-222-4544) [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]