SEBRING – The work of a police officer has once again been honored in the local school district of Sebring.

An annual effort to honor Officer Danny Guy, a former district school resources manager, last month included a purple and white hoodie for each student at BL Miller and Sebring McKinley Jr./Sr. High school.

The shirts featured the logo of Danny’s Cans, a non-profit organization that continues Guy’s legacy.

Guy started serving in local schools in Sebring in 2013, picking up discarded cans as he passed through town on a bicycle patrol. He recycled the cans, cashing them in for funds to help children in the community.

With the help of friends Bryan Bailey and Tom Stryffeler, Guy’s project grew. Friends contributed cans, and the group turned them into something invaluable to the students at Sebring.

“His position in the schools gave him first-hand insight into the needs of the children of the Sebring community and fueled his passion for the project,” the school district said in a press release. “The recycled cans have funded a number of student needs, from buying clothes and toys to sending patrols to a baseball game. “

Sebring officials said Guy would comment, “It’s all about the kids.”

Guy died at the age of 54 in January 2018, after spending 33 years with the Sebring Village Police Department.

Bailey, Stryffeler and others continued Guy’s work through Danny’s Cans. Since September 2020, community members and businesses have mobilized to collect cans, offer donations and provide other support to the organization.

Community groups have joined us, with Sebring American Legion, Alliance American Legion, Salem Eagles, Brickhouse, Log Cabin and Royal Star Diner collecting cans which are then recycled. A trailer at the Royal Star Diner on South 15th Street in Sebring collects cans donated by members of the community.

Carpenter Metal Sales then recycles the cans at a premium rate. The effort had visible impacts at Sebring.

Solar-powered stop signs near the crosswalks at BL Miller Elementary School flash brightly, warning drivers and students of the dangers of children entering the roads. The panels were recently installed thanks to donations provided to Danny’s Cans by the Sebring class of 2007. The $ 3,003 project was funded in memory of his classmate Stefan Guy, the son of the late Officer Danny Guy. in a tragic car accident in April 2021.

The organization also sponsored a $ 500 scholarship for a student in the Sebring McKinley class of 2021.

The funds also paid for purple sweatshirts that bear the Danny’s Cans logo and motto, “It’s all about the kids” on the front, and a gold Trojan mascot on the back. The sweatshirts were fully funded by the organization and printed by Carver Screen Printing, which supports the efforts of Danny’s Cans.

The organization also works in schools to meet the needs of students. BL Miller secretary Mary Harlan is the group secretary and McKinley’s custodian David Papic is also heavily involved.

Danny’s Cans clothing can be purchased at dannyscans.org, where donations are also accepted.