Miami Custodian Finalist For Janitor Of The Year

A janitor from a Miami elementary school is a finalist for the Cintas Corporation's Janitor of the Year Award. Lazaro Calderon was nominated by staff at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic School and earned enough votes to be listed among the top 10 finalists.

Calderon, affectionately known as “Abuelo Lazaro” and the “cool guy” at St. Thomas the Apostle, is more than a janitor – he’s family, according to the nomination.

Not a day goes by without Lazaro asking how the teachers and students are doing, and if there’s anything he can do to make their day better. He forms relationships with each and every student, from the kindergarteners to the eighth graders, by making time to have fun, play games and even dance.

For many students, St. Thomas is a second home. Lazaro makes sure it’s always clean and is in top condition, the nomination said. Over the years, Lazaro’s upbeat personality and inspirational bits of advice have taught hundreds of children to live life to the fullest.

In its fifth year, the Janitor of the Year Contest was created to draw attention to the everyday heroes that go above and beyond their job description to make schools a clean, healthy and fun learning environment.

The 2018 Janitor of the Year winner will be determined by the number of votes and will receive a $5,000 cash prize along with $5,000 in products and services for his or her school from Cintas and Rubbermaid Commercial Products – not to mention bragging rights. A $500 cash prize will be awarded to each of the remaining nine finalists.

Voting for the contest began March 19 and will end on April 20. The janitor with the most votes will win. Read the full article and cast your vote for the top Janitor of the Year here.