THESE STUDENTS DARE TO BE DIFFERENT

More than 75 fifth graders at Rappahannock County Elementary School
walked across the stage Friday, March 10 to receive certificates of
graduation and special Rappahannock DARE T-shirts, their prize for
completing the D.A.R.E. Program. Taught by Captain Jeff Brown of the
Rappahannock County Sheriffs Office, the Drug Abuse Resistance
Education (D.A.R.E.) program teaches children how to say "NO" to
drugs and alcohol.

D.A.R.E. also allows young people to get to know the police officer
in something other than a "blue light" setting. This is good for the
kids and good for the officers, because it lets kids know that the
police are not something to be afraid of, but real people who want
to help.

Captain Brown took special pleasure in announcing the three winners
of the DARE essay competition called "Taking a Stand-- How to avoid
drugs and alcohol." The winners read their entries aloud at the
graduation. Each had been voted as the winner in their class by
their fellow students.

Also attending the ceremonies were parents, grandparents of
graduating students, and the students of the fourth grade.

According to the mother of Dare graduate Tiffany Bowen, her daughter
has learned a lot from the DARE program, and even taught her mother
some things that she did not know. "Capt. Brown is doing a great job
with the children and he needs to keep up the good work," said Mrs.
Bowen.

According to Linda Dwyer, grandmother of graduate Brittany Atkins,
DARE kids learn and benefit from this program in surprising ways that
benefit the children and the school.

The slide show at the end of the DARE Graduation always features
candid photos of the students having fun, and is always the most
popular part of DARE graduation, according to Capt. Brown.

Sheriff Larry Sherertz was the guest speaker at the ceremony. He
congratulated all of the students on their achievement.

"Not only does DARE teach children to stay off drugs and resist peer
pressure, but it also establishes a positive relationship between
children and police officers," said Sherertz.

The Sheriff also emphasized that those lines of communication between
the children and police officers should remain open, in order to
promote safety.

The focal point of those lines of communication, Captain Jeff Brown,
has been selected as the DARE Officer of the Year for the
Commonwealth of Virginia. His leadership with the DARE Program, Shop
with a Deputy, and DARE Day as well as his work as the Resource
Officer for the Rappahannock County Public Schools makes Brown a very
positive influence on the young people in this community.