Pubdate: Tue, 22 Jan 2002 Source: Expositor, The (CN ON) Section: Opinion Copyright: 2002 The Brantford Expositor Contact: http://www.southam.com/brantfordexpositor/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1130 Contact: P.O. Box 965, Brantford, Ontario, N3T 5S8 Fax: (519)756-9470 Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/dare.htm (D.A.R.E.) DRUG AWARENESS PROGRAM RECEIVES $150,000 BOOST BRANTFORD - The Drug Abuse Resistance Education program is getting a huge boost from one of Brantford's most generous corporate citizens. S.C. Johnson Canada has provided the program - better known as D.A.R.E. - with a $150,000 endowment. The endowment will provide long-term financial security for the program which is run by the Brantford police department. "As a founding supporter of Brantford's D.A.R.E. program, we're proud to fund this educational effort," said Brian Tuffin, president and general manager of S.C. Johnson Canada. "Beyond learning about the negative effects of drug abuse, students also build positive relationships with police officers through the 17-week course." The program began in Brantford three years ago and is delivered to Grade 6 students at all city schools. It aims to give young people the skills needed to make informed choices and empowers them to say no when they are offered an opportunity to use alcohol, tobacco or drugs. Const. Brad Loveday, one of two city police officers who teaches the program, said D.A.R.E. has other benefits as well. "It helps establish a good relationship between police and kids," Loveday said Monday prior to a cheque presentation ceremony at S.C. Johnson's Brantford facility. "It also helps open up the lines of communication between parents and kids."Kids talk about it when they get home and that's an opportunity for parents to get involved." Loveday will be busy over the next week or so attending D.A.R.E. graduation ceremonies at the various schools where the program was taught in the first semester. The program runs over a 17-week period. Another group of Grade 6 students receive the program in the second semester. Future plans may include expanding the course by adding an advanced curriculum for first-year high school students. D.A.R.E. has been well received by the students for a couple of reasons, Loveday said. "It's taught by a police officer who can bring some real-life experience to it." Based in Racine, Wi, S.C. Johnson is one of the world's leading manufacturers of household cleaning products and products for home storage, personal care and insect control. It is a 116-year-old, family-owned and managed company that opened its Canadian operations, based in Brantford, back in 1920. The company employs 440 people in Canada. In addition to the Brantford site, the company maintains sales offices in Montreal and Calgary. Since 1939, the company has, on average, contributed five per cent of its pre-tax profits to philanthropic investments. In the past 10 years alone, that represents $134 million. - --- MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager