D.A.R.E. CELEBRATES ITS 41ST GRADUATION CEREMONY

THE KOFMAN AUDITORIUM was packed with 500 screaming kids and their
families on Thursday for the 41st Drug Abuse Resistance Education
(D.A.R.E.) graduation ceremony.

Approximately 500 fifth-graders from across the Island gathered with
their families, friends, teachers, D.A.R.E. officers and others to
celebrate their completion of the D.A.R.E. program. This brings the
total to approximately 21,000 D.A.R.E. graduates since the program began in Alameda schools back in 1986.

D.A.R.E. 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 to help them make healthier
and wiser decisions.

We graduate almost 1,000 young people each year and every graduation
celebration reminds us of the great community that goes into
educating our future leaders.

D.A.R.E. 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 D.A.R.E. Program:
The Elks Lodge 1015, which contributes 1,000 D.A.R.E. T-shirts each
year for the students; Alameda Power and Telecom, which contributes
1,000 D.A.R.E. Books each year for the students; Harsch Investment
Corp-Alameda Towne Centre and Park Street Business Association, which
provides the gift certificates to the essay and poster contest
winners; and Albertson's at Marina Village, which provides the helium
used in the D.A.R.E. balloons.

Without the support from these businesses, the D.A.R.E. graduation
would not be the huge hit that it is.

This year Emily Manson of Alameda High School sang an inspirational
song for the current D.A.R.E. graduates and their families. Our
Alameda police volunteers also were on hand once again to help us
pull off a successful graduation. They are a valuable resource for
our department and help us do our job more efficiently.

Once again, congratulations, D.A.R.E. graduates, on a job well done.
Don't forget what you've learned, apply itto your life and you will
have a happier, healthier, drug-free life.

For more information on the D.A.R.E. program, you can contact the
COPPS Unit at 337-8305 or visit the Web site at http://www.dare.com.

Officers Paul Hischier and Al Zielstorff staff the Alameda Police
Department's Community Oriented Policing Preventative Services
(COPPS) unit. Their column appears Fridays. They can be reached at
337-8340, ext. 8305. Check out the department's Web site at
http://www.ci.alameda.ca.us and click on the police department option.