Pubdate: Wed, 04 Jun 2003
Source: Sherwood Park News (CN AB)
Copyright: 2003 Sherwood Park News
Contact:  http://www.bowesnet.com/spnews/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1730
Author:  Kevin Crush
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/dare.htm (D.A.R.E.)

ROTARIANS STEP UP TO GIVE DARE A BOOST

The Rotary Club of Sherwood Park has dared to get on board with DARE and 
become the sought-after supporter of the program.

Keith Paterson, chair of the Rotary's Mile of Money event, says the Rotary 
will be providing $25,000 in financial support to DARE over the next five 
years.

"The program is good. It's unfortunate it hasn't had the proper funding it 
needs to fulfil its mandate," he said.

In 2001 it looked like the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program was on 
the bubble. Administered by the RCMP, Insp. Brian McLeod said at the time 
there just wasn't enough funding to pay for an instructor for the 
school-based anti-drug abuse program. Police officers were essentially 
coming in on their days off to teach DARE to Grade 5 or 6 kids.

Schools also said they didn't have the cash to support the program. Without 
any money, it looked like DARE might have been slashed.

Strathcona County, the police, and both school boards ended up initiating 
the DARE to Care Community Partnership, a foundation to search for 
community support for DARE.

It's only proper that the community should be the ones to support DARE, 
says Paterson.

"It's a local program and it should be resolved at a local level."

The Rotary Club getting on board will provide some much-needed stability to 
the program, says DARE instructor Const. Ken Fuhrmann.

"It's going to help us to determine whether it continues on, no doubt. The 
funding is the big thing and if the funding is there there's no doubt the 
DARE program will continue to go," said the constable.

"It's good that Rotary is going to be assisting us. Any help that we can 
get from the community is a great asset for our DARE program."

The money raised by the Rotary Club from its Mile of Money event, which 
happens every fall, will be put towards purchasing materials for the 
program, such as workbooks for the kids, and T-shirts that are given to all 
DARE graduates.

Down the road, Fuhrmann says the money would allow DARE to expand into the 
junior highs to reinforce what was taught at the elementary level. The 
funding, depending on how much is raised, could also help support a second 
DARE instructor.

While stable funding has been found through the Rotary Club, the program is 
still searching for more help from businesses and the community.

"Trying to get money out of companies and corporations can be difficult at 
times and it's a slow process, but the stuff is slowly starting to come in 
and I'm confident that we'll get what we need so we can continue on with 
the program," says Fuhrmann.

Part of the Rotary Club's goal is to get involved with youths around the world.

Part of that is keeping a primary focus on local youths so Rotary is a good 
fit with DARE, says Paterson.

Funds raised from the annual Mile of Money event, held in the fall by the 
Rotary Club, will be put towards the DARE program.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom