BRIGHT SPEAKERS BROUGHT TO SCHOOLS

Alberta Alcohol & Drug Abuse Commission (AADAC) teamed with
Burlington Resources Canada Ltd to bring special speakers to the
Edson area last month.

AADAC's co-ordinator for the presentations, Sherry Froehlich, said
Burlington gave $10,000 towards the project.

"The collaboration was interesting," she said.

"It was a lot of hard work."

The coalition's mission was to encourage strong, healthy and vibrant
communities free from the harmful effects that substance abuse cause.

"Youth are an important part of a healthy community," Burlington said
in a press release.

"We understand there is a growing

concern in rural communities about how drug use is impacting our
youth," it read.

Froehlich was able to bring in Norbert Georget, a well-known
paramedic from Saskatoon and Steve Harner, a retired teacher from
Calgary.

Georget aims his presentations towards high school kids and spoke
about the hazards involved with drinking and drugs.

"He speaks of his experiences and it is graphic," Froehlich said, but
effective.

His assemblies at Gerard Redmond School in Hinton and Parkland
Composite High School in Edson went very well, he said, and he had
received many positive comments.

Harner uses his love of magic tricks to communicate his message to
the younger, elementary kids.

He has spoken to over a million students in high schools and colleges
across Canada and the U.S. and also features on radio and TV talk shows.

"It is interactive," Froehlich said, "He pulled a rabbit out of his
hat, and used a dove."

The show was put on at Pine Grove this year and nearly 400 students
were there, she said.

The presentations were put on in one school in Edson, Drayton Valley
and Hinton, due to cost.

This was one of Froehlich's last projects with AADAC because she will
be moving to Edmonton at the end of the month and said she would miss
Edson.

"It has been fabulous."