Church groups cash in on leaf collection in Elkhart County

GOSHEN, Ind. (AP) - Trees have dropped cash in an Indiana county.

Elkhart County distributed thousands of dollars Tuesday to church groups and community organizations for collecting tons of leaves. Officials wanted to provide an incentive to reduce leaf burning.

Twenty-one teams took 181 tons of leaves to the county landfill. Prairie Camp, a program of Missionary Church, finished in first place and received nearly $10,000 for 39 tons of leaves. The Yellow Creek Mennonite Church youth group received about $8,000 for 31 tons. Youth pastor Jason Ramer says it will almost cover the annual cost of bus travel.

Sunnyside Mennonite Church got $4,900. Alan Ediger says church members "signed up right away" when they heard about the program.

He says there was another bonus: getting to know people in the Dunlap neighborhood.