SPORTS FIGURES, POWER RANGERS WARN CHILDREN ABOUT DRUGS

Former boxer Sugar Ray Leonard, football great Rosey Grier and the Power
Rangers spoke about the evils of drug use to 300 fifth-grade students at
the Hoover Street School in Pico-Union on Thursday.

The celebrities were invited to take part in activities marking what
President Clinton proclaimed as "National DARE Day." Representatives of the
Drug Abuse Resistance Education program presented studies touting the
effectiveness of the 18-week classes that many fifth-graders nationwide
attend, school officials said.

"It was really exciting," said Principal Richard Torchia . "The kids really
loved Sugar Ray, Rosey and especially the Power Rangers. They listened
intently to the message."

Still, the highlights of the program for the children were the food and
T-shirts they were given.

"It's hard to top pizza and chocolate chip cookies when you're in the fifth
grade," said Torchia.

Copyright Los Angeles Times