Pubdate: Fri, 16 Jan 2004 Source: Oakland Tribune, The (CA) Copyright: 2004 MediaNews Group, Inc. and ANG Newspapers Contact: http://www.oaklandtribune.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/314 Authors: Officers Jarrod Suth, and Paul Hischier, Alameda Police Department CONGRATULATIONS TO ANOTHER CLASS OF DARE GRADUATES THE ALAMEDA High School Gym was filled with electricity Thursday for the 35th Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) graduation ceremony. Some 500 fifth-graders from across the Island gathered with their families, friends, teachers, DARE officers and others to celebrate their completion of the anti-drug program. This brings the total to some 16,000 DARE graduates since the program began in Alameda schools in 1986. DARE is a comprehensive 10-week program that educates Alameda youth about the danger of drugs, alcohol and violence. The specific task is to teach kids skills to resist the pressures to experiment with alcohol, tobacco and marijuana and make healthier and wiser decisions. We graduate almost 1,000 students each year and every graduation celebration reminds us of the great community, team effort to educate our future leaders. DARE is funded by the Alameda Police Department and the Alameda Unified School District but counts on generous financial support from across the community. We would like to thank the following organizations for their generous donation to the DARE Program: Elks Lodge #1015, which contributes 1,000 DARE T-shirts each year for the students; Harsch Investment Corporation-South Shore Center and Park Street Business Association for the gift certificates to the winners of the essay and poster contest; and Safeway at South Shore for the helium for the DARE balloons. Without the support from these businesses, the DARE graduation would not be a huge hit. This year, Taryn Aguiar from Alameda High School, who is also a former DARE graduate, sang an inspirational song. Our Alameda Police Volunteers were on hand once again to help us pull off a successful graduation. They are an invaluable support to our department and help us do our job more efficiently. Once again, congratulations DARE graduates on a job well done. Don't forget what you've learned; apply it, and you will have a happier, healthier, drug-free life. For more information on the DARE program, contact the COPPS Unit at 337-8305 or visit DARE's Web site at www.dare.com Officers Jarrod Suth and Paul Hischier staff the Alameda Police Department's Community Oriented Policing Preventative Services (COPPS) unit. Their column appears Fridays. They can be reached at 748-4508, ext. 3305. Check out the department's Web site at www.ci.alameda.ca.us and click on the police department option. - --- MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart