ROANOKE (WSLS 10) - The Growth Through Opportunity program (GTO) graduated eight new cadets on Friday.
Roanoke police, Roanoke fire, Roanoke Sheriff's Department and the Roanoke County Sheriff's Department presented the third class of cadets their awards.
The program has spread in popularity throughout the Roanoke Valley and across the nation.
You may notice police cars recently marked with G-T-O logo. Friday, the Roanoke fire chief announced a new ambulance will also sport the logo.
Roanoke Fire Chief David Hoback said,"We learn and grow from them as much as they do from us. That's what's important: bringing that message out and having our ambulance is very important for us."
Travis Akins, GTO coordinator said, "When Chief Perkins and I first sat down back in 2014, with this vision of creating this growth through opportunity program, we never knew it was going to grow to the depths it has grown to."
The GTO program was recently added to the Botetourt County Sheriff's Department, and come September, and will spread to the Montgomery County Sheriff's Department and Radford University.