SYDENHAM AND DISTRICT LIONS RECEIVE OPP GRANT FOR DARE PROGRAM

Last week in Kingston at the A&P grocery store on Gardiners Road,
Constable Natalie McDowell of the South Frontenac OPP detachment in
Hartington and Ron Wells, assistant manager of the A&P, presented a cheque
for $900 to the Sydenham and District Lions Club.

The funding for the grant was obtained through the sale of the magazine,
"Not for Adults", which was sold at all A&P, Dominion and Food Basic
stores throughout Ontario.

The magazine is targeted to tweens and focuses on their culture but also
covers other topics like health and bullying.

The grant is to be used to teach the Drug Abuse Resistance Education
Program (DARE), a program in its fourth year that is taught at various
elementary schools in Frontenac Township, including Storrington P.S.,
Perth Road P.S., Loughborough P.S., Harrowsmith P.S., Prince Charles in
Verona and St. Patrick's in Harrowsmith.

Constable Natalie McDowell explained, "The grant is completely for kids
and is to provide prevention and awareness to youth."

Cst. McDowell teaches the series of eight classroom lessons for youth in
grades 5 and 6. The lessons focus on showing the students how to resist
negative peer influences and how to live productive drug and violence
free-lives.

The teaching materials include a booklet that outlines the negative
affects of bullying, tobacco, alcohol and marijuana use. It also stresses
the benefits of respecting other people's choices and focuses on what
defines true friendship.

Part of the grant will be used to purchase "fatal vision goggles", goggles
that the children can wear to show them what it is like to try to
accomplish simple tasks (like throwing a tennis ball into a basket), while
under the influence of alcohol.

"It really helps to bring the point home to them." says McDowell.

The program targets students in grades 5 and 6 in the hopes of getting the
message across them before problems start. At this age students can
understand the issues and hopefully have not yet been pressured into using
substances. Educators advised that waiting until grade 7 & 8 can be
leaving it too late.

The Sydenham and District Lions Club have been on board with the DARE
program since its inception in the community four years ago. The Lions
specifically applied for the grant that was available from A&P to support
the DARE program in the local schools in the area.

Gary Davison, Lions member and mayor of South Frontenac Township,
commented, "We saw the potential (through DARE) to have some diversion.so
why wouldn't we be involved in that?"

McDowell admits that, "Not all OPP detachments are as fortunate to run the
program. We're really very blessed."

The DARE program originated in the United States and spread rapidly to
other countries.

McDowell enjoys teaching the program and believes that it is having a
positive affect on the children it reaches.

Asked if drugs and alcohol are an issue in South Frontenac, McDowell
replied, "No they are not and we're hoping to keep it that way through
prevention."

She added, "I received a letter of thanks from a child who I taught who
thanked me and said that the message got through. This is what makes it
all worthwhile."