Pubdate: Sat, 22 May 2004 Source: Daily Herald (IL) Copyright: 2004 The Daily Herald Company Contact: http://www.dailyherald.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/107 Author: Avian Carrasquillo Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/dare.htm (D.A.R.E.) WHEELING D.A.R.E. OFFICERS SAY THANKS TO FIFTH-GRADERS The Wheeling Police Department started a busy weekend Friday by honoring the 124 fifth-graders at Whitman Elementary School who completed the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program. Officer John Abbio was in charge of the DARE program at Whitman. Abbio said the 17-week program, which shows students how to deal with peer pressure and helps build a child's self-esteem, has long-lasting effects. "I had my doubts at first, but I've run into kids that have graduated from the program and years later they still remember everything they learned," Abbio said. However, Abbio fears that state cuts in funding for the program could make it a thing of the past. "Next year we've been informed that it will be a 10-week program," Abbio said. Whitman Principal Ralph Cook was pleased with the students' performance. "It's a really great opportunity to show them how much we value their work in the program. My hope is that they will carry these life lessons on into middle school and later on in life," Cook said. The Wheeling Police Department will continue its work with children from 7 to 10 p.m. today at the Wheeling Park District Community Recreation Center with its Rockin' with the Cops program. The event is designed to give area fifth-, sixth- and seventh-grade students an opportunity to hang out with officers in a social environment. DARE was founded in 1983 in Los Angeles and gives kids skills to avoid involvement in drugs, gangs and violence. DARE is a police officer-led series of classroom lessons that teaches children from kindergarten through 12th grade how to resist peer pressure and live productive drug and violence-free lives. DARE reports that the program is now being implemented in nearly 80 percent of the nation's school districts and in more than 54 countries around the world. - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin