Ella Pendry saw someone who needed help – so she helped. It was a simple act of kindness without consideration or expectation of reward, and she did it because it was the right thing to do. That’s why the Johanna Perrin eighth-grader is being recognized for her selflessness and quick thinking by the Rochester Police Department with the “Do The Right Thing” Award this month. 

Last spring, Ella was on her bike near the canal in the Village of Fairport, on her way to meet a friend, when she saw a man on the ground near the path, waving his hand. She rushed over to help, and saw the man was injured and bloody.

“He said, ‘Hey, can you help me wrap this up?’ So I did. He had spilled his first aid kit on the ground,” said Ella. 

The man, who is in his eighties, had been riding his bike when a cat rushed in front of him and he crashed, injuring himself. Ella helped the man get organized and get back on his way. She says she didn’t think twice or hesitate to help him; she saw someone who needed help and helped him. 

Chris Geng, a school counselor at Johanna Perrin, found out about the incident – it turns out, the man who had fallen is the father of a former Fairport staff member. 

In his nomination submission for the “Do the Right Thing” Award, Geng wrote, “[H]e was very grateful, especially since two other people rode right by without stopping. He was very appreciative of her assistance, and when I suggested that Ella be nominated for the “Do the Right Thing” Award, he and his family thought this was a great idea, and a great way to acknowledge her kindness and thoughtfulness to help someone in need.”

Johanna Perrin Principal Pat Grow said, “Ella has done a fantastic job navigating through the difficulties that middle-schoolers have faced the last few years and she has always advocated for herself and others in a positive way. This is an example of how I hope our students would react in a situation like this, and I’m very proud of Ella and her response to help someone in need!”

Ella will be recognized as March’s “Do the Right Thing” Award recipient in a virtual ceremony by the Rochester Police Department later this month.