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D.A.R.E. program seeking funding for coming school year

Two service clubs and one First Nations band donated to help RCMP teach Drug Abuse Resistance Education Prince Rupert school children.

Two service clubs and one First Nations band donated a total of $1,780 during the 2013/2014 school year to help local RCMP teach the internationally recognized Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) program to 77 Grade 5 or 6 Prince Rupert school children.

The Prince Rupert Rotary Club donated $1,000 and the Prince Rupert Loyal Order of the Moose donated $500. The Kitkatla Band Council donated $280.

RCMP Sgt. Gus Papagiannis, who oversees D.A.R.E. program in B.C. noted more than 200 police officers teach D.A.R.E. each year to thousands of B.C. school children to equip them with the critical thinking and life skills necessary to choose a drug-free life. While police officers teach the program, the cost of the student learning materials is covered by community donations so the program can be offered free to all students.

Sgt. Papagiannis said D.A.R.E. B.C., a registered charitable organization, helps raise funds within each community to cover the cost of the student learning materials.

"We are grateful to these organizations for their generous contributions to D.A.R.E. B.C. to help cover a portion of the cost of learning materials for the students who took the program during the 2013-2014 school year," he said.

The founder of D.A.R.E. B.C., retired RCMP Staff Sergeant Chuck Doucette, is asking the citizens of Prince Rupert to support the upcoming 2014-15 DARE program by donating online at www.darebc.com.