In recent weeks, we have seen a wave of kindness sweeping New Brunswick. That wave has been at the request of 17-year-old Rebecca (Becca) Schofield of Riverview, who took to social media with the #BeccaToldMeTo hashtag asking people to perform acts of kindness and share them on social media. Becca came up with the idea in December when she learned the cancer she has been living with for more than two years had become inoperable. In response to this devastating news, she created a bucket list, and one of the things on it was to inspire kindness. This has now gone worldwide. You've probably heard of it, and maybe even performed an act of kindness in her name.
Earlier this month, the New Brunswick RCMP held a Long Service Award Ceremony in Moncton where Commanding Officer Larry Tremblay bestowed Becca with a Commander's Certificate of Appreciation for Outstanding Community Spirit and Leadership. I was fortunate enough to meet and speak with this young woman and I was deeply inspired by her determination and courage, and moved by the outpouring of support I have seen for her.
The RCMP wanted to honour Becca because her initiative reflects what it means to build a safer community, province, country and world. As police, we often say that everyone has a role to play in making our communities safer. One of those roles is to be kind. An act of kindness may be to bring someone a cup of coffee when they're at work, it may be a smile and an encouraging word. But it may also be to stop a friend from driving while impaired or distracted or from making a potentially life-changing mistake like using an illegal drug. It may be reaching out to help someone in an abusive situation. Or calling the police with information that may help solve a crime or give a family answers. All these are acts of good citizenship that help protect the fabric of our communities. It is that simple.
Compassion and respect are two of the RCMP's core values, and these qualities are critical to helping create a safer Canada, one interaction at a time. As the Officer in Charge of the Codiac Regional RCMP, I fully understand how powerful a kind act can be during a difficult time. Acts of kindness and simple acts of support may seem small, but they are not. They matter and they make a difference and they change lives.
Our employees, both those working on the front lines and behind the scenes, know this, and I am proud of how often I see them going beyond their roles as police to help bring light into dark or difficult places. This past Christmas, RCMP members from the Keswick detachment, near Fredericton, took steps to ensure that a struggling family, who had recently lost their mother, would have Christmas presents under the tree. At Halloween, the Southeast District RCMP put on a pumpkin carving event to raise money for the Law Enforcement Torch Run. Throughout the year, numerous fundraising events are held by RCMP employees for the Torch Run, with all proceeds going to New Brunswick's Special Olympics. A Codiac RCMP member last year worked with numerous agencies to provide winter coats for children in need. The list goes on. I know our employees perform these acts of kindness every day of the year. They're conducting outreach or fundraising initiatives to help those in need or to raise awareness of an illness or an issue. None of this is done because the RCMP leadership expects or requests it. It is done out of their desire to make a difference in their community and in their neighbours' lives, on their own time.
I also know there are many good people in our communities doing the same thing. At Becca's urging, we have certainly seen the kindness our friends and neighbours are capable of showing. Those acts of kindness may have been performed before, but Becca has given us the opportunity to share them and to inspire others to do the same. The RCMP applauds her leadership. We will continue to follow and we ask you to do the same. You may never know the impact your small act of kindness will have, but make the effort, because #BeccaToldMeTo.
Supt. Paul Beauchesne
Codiac Regional RCMP Officer In Charge
Photo: Becca Schofield with New Brunswick Lieutenant-Governor Jocelyne Roy-Vienneau and New Brunswick RCMP Commanding Officer A./Commr. LarryTremblay, receiving a Commander's Certificate of Appreciation for Outstanding Community Spirit and Leadership.