Jessica Micallef
Bin day is Cooper’s favourite day of the week.
The five-year-old Sunbury boy spends his Wednesday mornings eating his breakfast at the front window of his house, patiently waiting for his favourite garbage truck driver Ron Swain to collect his family’s rubbish with a smile and a wave.
Earlier this month, Cooper was delighted with a special surprise.
To celebrate Cooper’s fifth birthday, his mum Erin Henderson contacted Hume council to arrange a dedicated birthday wave and a happy birthday shout-out from Mr Swain.
“I knew that would make his [Cooper’s] day,” she said.
“For the last couple of years, Ron has waved to him every Wednesday.
“He’ll sit in the window, with his breakfast, a blanket and some pillows and he’ll wait until Ron comes past.”
Earlier this month, Mr Swain pulled up to Cooper’s house with a few goodies in hand. To top it off, Cooper got to sit in the driver’s seat of the garbage truck.
“He handed Cooper a little gift bang and a card,” Ms Henderson said.
“Cooper looked in his gift bag and there were two little toy bins.
“The bins were topped with chocolates. He opened his birthday card and there was $10.
“I was gobsmacked.
“Cooper was very happy. This had made his whole year.”
Ms Henderson said her son has always had a love of trucks and garage bins – Cooper lends a helping hand and brings in his neighbours’ bins after they have been emptied.
“They’ll leave their bins out because they know Cooper is going to put them away,” she said.
“He does like to take our bins out. But they do get a bit heavy so he helps his dad take them. But Cooper brings them in every single Wednesday.”
