Close to 95 students in Mission learned the skills necessary to choose a drug free life this past school year.
The internationally recognized Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) program is taught to Grade 5 and 6 students by local RCMP officers who received a $500 donation from the Royal Canadian Legion branch 57 (Mission) for learning material.
More than 200 police officers teach the program to thousands of school children every year, said RCMP Sgt. Gus Papagiannis, who oversees the D.A.R.E. program in B.C. Others who also help deliver the program are Canadian Border Services, Fisheries and Oceans Department, BC Correction Services, and other police forces.
"We are grateful to the Royal Canadian Legion for its generous contribution to D.A.R.E. BC to help cover the cost of learning material for students who took part in the program during the 2013-2014 school year," said Papagiannis.
The total cost of D.A.R.E. learning maters in Mission was $940.
D.A.R.E. BC Society is a registered charitable organization which relies on community donations to help run the program.
D.A.R.E. is a comprehensive school-based drug prevention program delivered to students over the course of 10 weeks. Each lesson is presented in a fun and factual way, and encourages student participation using an interactive work book.
The program also helps police establish positive relationships with children, parents, teachers, and others in the community.
For more information about D.A.R.E., or to make a donation, visit www.darebc.com.