DARE NEEDS MORE FUNDS

Program a Hit With Trustees

Board members for a drug and alcohol education program have asked the
Foothills School Division for $6,100 more a year and while trustees
didn't say yes or no at their Nov. 1 meeting, they did give the Drug
Abuse Resistance Education courses rave reviews.

"My daughters were in Grades 1 and 4 when the DARE program was
started," school division chairman Jerry Muelaner said. "I applaud
what you are doing for kids - I am a big supporter."

The Foothills

DAREWorks Society was started seven years ago when stakeholders,
including the school division, helped fund the program.

The Foothills School Division initially paid $20,000 a year to have
the program taught to Grade 6 students. The program has a constable
- -- in uniform -- teaching students how to say no to drugs and
alcohol, how to handle peer pressure and to treat people with respect.

The Foothills School Division upped its ante to $24,000 a year three
years ago when a Grade 8 DARE course program was added.

Laurie McCreary-Burke, executive director for the Foothills DAREWorks
Society, said in an interview after the meeting, that the society has
been aggressively fund-raising to cover the costs of the expanding program.

At present, the DARE Society has Okotoks RCMP Constable Geoff
Carpenter teaching the course. Retired High River RCMP Const. Greg
Diebolt recently completed his DARE instruction course in Denver,
Colo. and is presently teaching courses in Okotoks. He will begin
teaching in the High River area in the new year.

Carpenter is paid by the RCMP through the Town of Okotoks, with his
salary being reimbursed to Okotoks by DAREWorks.

Diebolt is classified as a town of Okotoks bylaw officer, with his
salary being reimbursed to Okotoks by DAREWorks.

The present breakdown by stakeholders to pay for the RCMP position
is: Foothills School Division, $24,000; M.D. of Foothills, $12,000;
Town of High River, $7,200; Town of Okotoks, $7,200;
Strathcona-Tweedsmuir school, $4,800, Black Diamond $2,400; Turner
Valley; $2,400 and Longview, $600.

The society also contributes $20,000 through its various fund-raisers
for the salary.

The society plans to meet with the stakeholders in the near future.
It met with Okotoks town council on Oct. 23.