Pubdate: Sun, 06 Dec 2009 Source: Summit Daily News (CO) Copyright: 2009 Summit Daily News Contact: http://apps.summitdaily.com/forms/letter/index.php Website: http://www.summitdaily.com/home.php Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/587 Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/dare.htm (D.A.R.E.) D.A.R.E. PROGRAM THANKS LOCAL BUSINESSES FOR SUPPORT The Summit County Sheriff's Office would like to thank Downstairs at Eric's, Windy City Pizza, City Market Breckenridge and Walmart for their continued support and contributions to the Summit County Sheriff's Office D.A.R.E. program. The support and donations from local businesses like these enable this valuable program to continue in local schools. This year the Silverthorne Recreation Center also donated two punch card passes for two students, and the Snowboard Outreach Society (S.O.S.) donated one of two snowboard lesson/ski packages. On behalf of these kids.Thank You! Gracias! According to Summit County Sheriff's Office D.A.R.E. Instructor and School Resource Officer (SRO) Deputy Rebecca Johnson, "These businesses have graciously donated every year and usually twice annually - even during tough economic times. We couldn't do this without them!" Instructed by Deputy Johnson and Deputy Wanda Wilkerson, this year's program recently celebrated the graduation of 31 Dillon Valley Elementary 5th grade students. Students Eric Robinson and Jacob Payer were awarded the S.O.S. ski/snowboard lesson packages for their exceptional work on their essays describing what they learned in their D.A.R.E classes. D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) is a program presented by Law Enforcement to students across the nation, and introduces kids to a variety of life skills they will need to avoid the pressures of and involvement with drugs, alcohol, gangs, and violence. "D.A.R.E. establishes positive relationships between students, law enforcement, teachers and parents," explained Deputy Johnson. "It also builds self-confidence by providing kids with the tools that will enable them to avoid negative influences and difficult peer pressure as they enter new chapters in their lives while encouraging them to focus on their individual strengths and potential." For more information on the Summit County D.A.R.E. program, contact Deputy/SRO Johnson with the Summit County Sheriff's Office at (970) 453-2232. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom