Congratulations to Nicholas C. and Abigail B.! In December 2022, Rochester Police Department held its annual Do the Right Thing Award Ceremony during which the two Spry Middle School students were among the honorees!
The Do The Right Thing Awards program has been part of the Rochester Police Department (RPD) since 1995. Its goal is to foster positive relationships between local law enforcement and youth in the community. Do The Right Thing Awards recognize youth for their bravery, courage, and valor, such as volunteering, aiding law enforcement or other first responders, acts of heroism, leadership, and positive role model behavior.
Nicholas was nominated by a neighbor for the maturity and bravery he displayed during an alarming incident that occurred in May. The sixth grader was riding his scooter alone in his neighborhood when he was followed and approached by a stranger in a vehicle who attempted to engage Nicholas in inappropriate conversation. Nicholas was uncomfortable and sensed danger, so he immediately went home and reported what happened to his parents. On his way home he even told the neighbor to be safe. His parents called 911 and the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office responded to investigate. Nicholas was brave and provided the deputies very detailed information about the man and the car he was driving.
Nicholas did the right thing by going to a safe location and immediately telling an adult, and he reacted courageously when he spoke to law enforcement and provided them with important information. His actions serve as a model for children of what they should do if they are ever in a similar situation, and hopefully his bravery in his willingness to speak up will encourage others to do the same.
Abigail was nominated for her kind-hearted and selfless spirit by the artistic director of Heart of Dance, an inclusive dance troupe that consists of performers of all abilities – trained dancers, dancers in wheelchairs, dancers with developmental disabilities, and guest dancers from around the Rochester community. Abby has been a valuable asset to the troupe, always willing to help with any choreography or anything else that needs to be done, is comfortable with all participants, and especially enjoys dancing with another dancer with wheels. The seventh grader is also a valuable asset to the community, volunteering at numerous organizations. She has been involved with Girl Scouts for more than seven years, through which she volunteered at numerous events. She completed her Girl Scout bronze award by spearheading an extensive project to assist pets waiting for their forever homes. For the past six years Abby has also helped take care of the community garden at Webster Hope House during the summer. Webster Hope provides food for many people in need in the Webster community. She has also volunteered at Foodlink, made cards for veterans, painted pumpkins and put together holiday treat bags for residents at Cherry Ridge Rainier Grove, and volunteered at the Challenger Miracle Field Halloween Party. At school, Abby was elected by her peers to represent the Blue House sixth grade on student council.
Well-rounded, making a difference in both the community where she lives as well as her school community, Abby is a role model for not only other students, but adults as well.
The Do the Right Thing Award distinguishes school-aged children who strive to make good choices, do well in school, give back to their community, or demonstrate a “turn-around” or improvement in their behavior, and to publicly highlight these students and their stories in the media to show that good kids are newsworthy. Any student enrolled in grades kindergarten-12 in any Monroe County school is eligible for nomination. The good deed the student is nominated for must have occurred in Monroe County within one year of the nomination. For more information go to https://www.cityofrochester.gov/DoTheRightThing/.