At the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York, the U.S. Men's Hockey Team upset the highly favored Soviet Hockey Team and then went on to win the gold medal by defeating Finland in the final round. The hockey world was excited!

Nearby at the outdoor skating rink, the portable sanitation industry was excited as portable restrooms were in use for the first time at the Winter Olympics.

Rent-A-John, which provided portable units for the first time in Olympic history at the 1976 Summer Games in Montreal, provided units for these Olympic Games.

Long-time PSAI member Bill Reynolds, Jr., remembers: "I was 18 and my dad had me transport our large 'Big John' units from our location in Columbus, Ohio, to Lake Placid. Once I dropped them off, he flew me back to Columbus to take another load. I did this several times. On my last trip, I picked up a used Pace Arrow motorhome in Buffalo that Dad had purchased for our crew to stay in at the Olympics. The hotels, motels, and other places to stay were packed, as you might imagine." (The distance from Columbus, Ohio, to Lake Placid, New York is roughly 670 miles!)

If there were an Olympic marathon driving event, Bill Reynolds, Jr., would have certainly won the gold medal.

For even more interesting facts on the history of our industry and of the Portable Sanitation Association International, visit www.psai.org and order your History Book today. All proceeds benefit the PSAI Scholarship Program.