Will County Gazette

When dressing comfortably means a donation for charity, participation runs high within the Naperville Police Department’s Communications Section — thanks to a concept implemented by one of the staff’s own members, telecommunicator Michael Stys.

Scoring a double win by supporting the community and boosting teamwork, the event, known as “Charity Dress Down Days,” allows staffers to don approved casual apparel one day each month. In exchange, for each participant, $5 is contributed to a charity chosen by the entire participating group.

By adhering to the plan, Naperville Police Department’s Communications Section raised $565 for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, which operates nationwide out of New York City, in just six months.

Staff member Stys first heard of the fundraising idea at a training event and relayed it to the department. With a successful first round, the group plans to continue the initiative, choosing a new charity every six months.

“This is an extraordinary group of employees,” Naperville Police Chief Robert Marshall said. “They give so much to the community every day just through the nature of their jobs, and to see them continually strive to do more for others is incredible.”

The department’s Communications Section consists of Naperville’s Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP), provider of both emergency and non-emergency radio and phone communications for public safety departments, and the City Dispatch, which assists the with city’s public works and utilities communications.