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the fugative · 02-10-2003, 12:30 AM

Student collects 3,500 Cheeto points, one bag at a time

Associated Press

Published Feb. 7, 2003 CHEE08

MUNISING, Mich. -- The past year has been crunch time for Munising High School junior Alex Johnson.

He ate a bag of Cheetos every day at lunch, and collected empty bags from classmates. His locker eventually became stuffed with 3,500 bags from the cheese-flavored snacks - each of them worth one gift point.

One of Johnson's teachers sent an e-mail to Cheetos manufacturer Frito-Lay Corp.

``They liked it so much, they sent somebody here,'' said Johnson, 17.

That someone turned out to be Chester Cheeto, a costumed cartoon figure and the point character in Cheetos marketing and advertising.

Chester appeared at a pep rally for the basketball team, and presented Johnson with a scrolled declaration proclaiming him an ``honorary deputy of cheese.''

``I think it's unusual and funny that this has actually happened,'' Johnson said. ``It's kind of cheesy.''

Johnson hasn't decided what he would redeem his Cheetos gift points for. ``Whatever the biggest thing is,'' he said.