SPECIAL TRIP

National Guard Uses Helicopter To Deliver Positive Message

It's not every day a helicopter lands on the Lambert football field
and Brorson School, but Tuesday wasn't an average day for these area
schools.

Students weren't the only ones who enjoyed the unusual spectacle.
Community members were also interested in the helicopter landing.

Sidney Police's D.A.R.E. officer Lloyd Dopp organized the landing with
the Air National Guard in order to bring an important message to area
students about how making good choices opens exciting opportunities
for individuals. The event was held in conjunction with Red Ribbon
Week.

All of Lambert's students kept their eyes pealed to the northeast
keeping watch for the helicopter, which came from Sidney.

Keith Banning and Brendra Carlson, Air National Guard, Helena, flew
Richland County Sheriff Brad Baisch and Dopp in a helicopter to area
schools to give presentations about making right choices.

Banning and Carlson shared their personal success stories with
students and explained the benefits they've experienced due to living
a drug-free life.

"They were allowed to see the helicopter up close and ask questions
about it," Baisch said. "It was a good way to get the attention of the
students."

Having a helicopter land on school grounds peaked the students'
interests, which the presenters used to their advantage in getting an
important message across.

"We wouldn't have gotten to where we are today, being able to do the
things we are interested in doing, if we hadn't made the right choices
about living the drug-free lifestyle," Banning said.

Banning used an analogy to explain that life is a big, open window of
opportunity, but when someone starts using drugs, that window closes.

Carlson and Banning stressed the importance of staying drug free while
explaining the variety of opportunities that have opened up to them
because of the right choices they made as students and as adults.