Back in 1995, Capt. Don Cerbone had a vision. He wanted to start a program within the Punta Gorda Police Department called Do the Right Thing. It would reach out to the youths in the area and recognize them if they had performed an act of kindness for someone or had done something that had benefited the community.

Now, 17 years later, Cerbone, who has since passed away, has had his dream grow beyond anyone’s expectations, with the DTRT program becoming even more popular within the county.