A message from Chief Rob Petrovich
Our children are truly our most valuable resource. We have an affirmative obligation to shape the character of our youth to ensure that they begin the practice of responsible behavior at an early age.

Our youth represent our future as a community, but they often inspire us here and now because of their selfless acts of kindness and their demonstrated commitment to a high standard of conduct. Fortunately, we have a program that recognizes and reinforces the exemplary behavior that is consistent with a strong value system.

The “Do The Right Thing” program is a unique and effective opportunity for us to seek out youth who set a positive example by making constructive choices, sometimes at a personal cost. Please take the time to review this literature and consider what role may be appropriate for you in supporting this program. Let’s build our future together now. Thank
you for your support.

A word from Fire Chief, Bill Van Helden
In a day and age when there seems to be so much focus on the things of this world that go wrong, there are still opportunities for individuals and the community to recognize and encourage our children. We must take responsibility to encourage one another.

Everyday our children give of themselves in ways that usually go unnoticed. We must strive to catch the youth of our community doing the right thing.

The “Do The Right Thing” program provides us with an excellent opportunity for achieving the aforementioned. However, the program more importantly represents a philosophy of life that we must embrace if we are to help our youth be prepared for the challenges that lie ahead of them.

I believe it is imperative that we lead by example so that our youth and our children find us always doing the right thing.

Thank you for your consideration and caring commitment to our community.

Background
Do The Right Thing, Inc. is a non-profit corporation operating under the City of Cape Coral Police Department dedicated to recognizing students within the community who are doing good things. That can mean anything from exemplary behavior, improving school grades, volunteer work, helping someone in need, or excelling in a worthwhile endeavor.

Each year, in excess of one hundred Cape Coral students from grades K-12 are nominated by police officers, teachers and members of our community for the “Do The Right Thing” award on the basis of their positive accomplishments. Schools throughout Cape Coral regularly host ceremonies for their own nominees, display bulletin boards with the children’s pictures and have special “Do The Right Thing” Days.

Today, “Do The Right Thing” is dedicated to ensuring that youth are not only awarded for “doing the right thing” but publicly recognized as role models for their peers. All students nominated are “winners” and receive a t-shirt, certificate, and other prizes. Each month, our Board of Directors selects nine of these students to honor publicly at a special ceremony attended by family, friends, police officers, and community members.

Goals
• To build self esteem in our youth by reinforcing socially desirable behavior.
• To foster positive relations between the police and students by building bridges of trust, understanding, and civic responsibility.
• To allow the residents of the City of Cape Coral to see the positive actions of our young citizens and demonstrate that “good kids” are newsworthy.
• To allow the community to publicly thank our youth for their achievements.

History
The “Do The Right Thing” program originated in 1990 when a teenager was recognized by the Miami Police Department for turning in a loaded gun that he had found, despite pressure from peers not to do so. A psychologist from the community noted that the young man was visibly moved as he was applauded for his positive behavior by more than 100 police officers and staff who attended a ceremony in his honor. The psychologist suggested that a formal youth recognition program be implemented by the department on an ongoing basis. The resulting project, “Do The Right Thing”, was instituted to reward children for their positive accomplishments and to enhance the lives of many of the city’s youth.

By 1995, Cape Coral was the second agency to exhibit the success of “Do The Right Thing”. Today there are “Do The Right Thing” chapters throughout the country as well as in England.

Nominate a Student
Any adult can nominate a student (grade K through 12) for positive attitudes, actions
and achievements. Nominees may have…

• turned in something which was lost
• helped a friend who was struggling
• shown concern for their environment
• helped keep their school safe
• volunteered their time to their community
• helped the police solve a crime
• settled problems verbally rather than physically

If you know of a student who goes to a Cape Coral school, and is deserving of the “Do The Right Thing” award based on his or her outstanding actions and attitudes, please
complete and return the form below.

Click to Download

Parades
Winners are invited to build and ride on a parade float during local celebrations to aid in
community awareness of our youth and the “Do The Right Thing” program.

Regional Banquet
Two students are chosen from each “Do The Right Thing” chapter in the tri-county area to represent their city at an awards banquet held in their honor. The black-tie event is
broadcast live on NBC-2.

Picnics
Students are invited to a year-end picnic to remind them that they are truly heroes and role models. Popular settings prove to be the Children’s Science Center and Sunsplash
Water Park.

Leadership Seminars
Past Middle School winners are invited to attend a leadership seminar composed of
classroom style learning as well as outdoor“ team-building”projects. Students are urged
to build on their positive traits to solve group problems.

Scholarships
The Fraternal Order of Police and the Professional Fire Fighters Union join “Do The Right Thing” in awarding college scholarships to high school students who have proven to be positive role models.

For Additional Information

For more information on the “Do The Right Thing” program:

Cape Coral Police Department
P.O. Box 150027
Cape Coral, Fl 33915
attn: “Do The Right Thing”

call: Cape Coral Police Department at (239) 242-3342
e-mail: cnaumann@capecoral.net

Special Thanks to our Corporate Sponsors and Prize Contributors

Businesses throughout our community offer terrific prizes for our young citizens. Trophies and t-shirts, pizza’s, movie passes, and gym memberships are just some of the many gifts awarded. Our corporate sponsors provide assistance for the program and the student winners by offering time, ideas, and financial support. They are the back bone of “Do The Right Thing”.

Corporate Sponsors:
Allegra Print & Imaging
Brown & Root Services
CLOUT, Inc.
Cape Christian Fellowship
Cape Coral WCR
Ecological Laboratories
Fast Oil & Lube
First Home Builders
First National Bank
Fraternal Order of Police
Montgomery Watson Harza
Olin Hill & Associates
Outback Steakhouse
Publix Supermarket Charities
Southwest Florida Community Foundation
Time Warner Cable
NBC-2
Cape Coral Daily Breeze
The News-Press

Prize Contributors:
Brusters on Pine Island Rd., Bubba’s Roadhouse, Camelot Video, Cape Christian Fellowship, Cape Coral Floral Designs, Children’s Science Center, Cici’s Pizza, E.A.A. Young Eagles, F.O.S. Furniture, Fitness 2000, Fraternal Order of Police, Friendship Lanes, Greenwell’s Family Funpark, Kobayashi Dojo, Mi Havana, Michael Orchin Painting, Moorings Seafood Joynt, Papa John’s Pizza, Vita Nova Pizza, Youth Crime Intervention Center

Doing the “right thing” is contagious!

By Scott Sierocinski
2002 Scholarship recipient

How do you know you’ve made an impression on someone that will last a lifetime? I am proud to tell you that I, Scott Sierocinski, can tell you exactly how it feels.

Two wonderful parents raised me. They taught me the difference between right and wrong. My parents always told me to be honest and truthful.

I work at a local grocery store where I bag groceries and carry out customers’ orders. While working one day as I was headed back inside, I came across a cart which had a purse in it. Some people would say that this would bring about a scene much like those in the cartoons. A devil of fire red on one shoulder telling you to go through it and take what you could, and an angel of pure white on the other shoulder telling you to have the purse returned to it’s rightful owner. For me there was only an angel and without a second thought I took the purse into the store and gave it to the front office. At the end of the day I asked the person in the office if they had found the owner of the purse. She told me that they had and the lady who had lost it was overjoyed that all of the money from her paycheck, which she had just cashed, was still there. The lady had left me a message saying, “Thank you so much. I appreciate your honesty. Your parents must be very proud to have raised you so well.”

When I told my family what had occurred at dinner that night they were extremely proud, and my little brother who idolizes me was amazed that I turned it in just because it was the right thing to do. Two months later we received a letter from my brother’s teacher stating that he would be honored as a “Do The Right Thing” winner. When we asked him why, he said, “Because I found a change purse on the bus ramp and gave it to my teacher, just like Scotty did with the purse.”

Today’s Heroes; Tomorrow’s Leaders