Apache Junction neighborhood maintenance technician wins Pay It Forward award

APACHE JUNCTION, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) - We Paid It Forward to Ernie Catlett, a maintenance technician at the Desert Harbor Community in Apache Junction. “I nominated Ernie for Pay It Forward because he is more than just a maintenance tech here at Desert Harbor. He takes pride in his work and he knows everybody by name. He knows everyone’s pets by name as well,” said resident Stu Olsen.

Ernie does it all, ensuring that their neighborhood is in tip-top shape. He takes pride in his work and always does it with a smile on his face. Because of his hard work, the folks at Desert Harbor wanted to Pay It Forward to him.

Arizona’s Family crew and Stu walked up to Ernie to surprise him with the gift. “This is your day. I nominated you for Pay It Forward because I believe you deserve the recognition. I want you to know that everyone loves you here, so here is $500 from Channel 5,” Stu said. Ernie was grateful and thanked everyone for the kind gesture. “It is easy to see why it is so easy to be nice to them. They love me so much and treat me so well, I don’t know what to say,” said Ernie.

If anyone needs help with anything, Ernie is there. “I can’t believe these people, they are my residents and now they do this for me. It brings tears to my eyes, almost,” he said.

If you would like to nominate someone for our Pay It Forward Award, just log on to our community page and fill out a nomination form.

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