• Photo of Daryl CraigDaryl Craig

    Daryl Craig, or "Brother D" as he is known to all he helps, is the leader of the Blue Coats, a group of volunteer peacekeepers who have been working since 2004 to defuse violence and promote safety among students and in the neighborhoods surrounding our schools. The men and women in now-familar blue vests have become trusted friends and mentors, touchstones for the students as they arrive and depart school each day. 

    In a 2015 interview, Craig remembered how a woman who took care of him as a teenager told him that the whole world was responsible for children.

    “I believe that,” Craig said. “We either pick them up or let them down. Either way, we are responsible. They operate in a world we create. The mission of the Blue Coats is to create heaven wherever we go - to create a positive world for the children. You do that by telling them how great they are and how great they can become.”

    Photo: Erie Times-News/GoErie.com