STAND AGAINST DRUGS RALLIES CITIZENS SATURDAY

Pastor Ken Gorham and his wife Carol found the calls they received
from distraught parents sad.

The parents were distraught over their children's downward spiral into
drug use, and Pastor and Mrs. Gorham decided to hold a march and rally
to fight what they thought was sad, and called the rally Stand Against
Drugs.

The march will leave the Victoria Park Armoury at 1:30 p.m. on
Saturday, Oct. 2, and the rally takes place in the park an hour later.
Seniors who want to participate can ride in a bus donated for the
event by Charterways.

A former addict, Pastor Gorham says the event will not be
"churchified."

"I happen to be a pastor but I'm also a citizen," he
says.

The only word he plans on spreading is that organized crime lives in
Lindsay, and "organized crime stands for everything that destroys the
family unit."

Pastor Gorham hopes that thousands of people will show up on Saturday,
to send a message to the town's drug dealers. He believes people are
ignorant about the extent of drugs in town. "Ignorant's not a bad
word. It means unlearned," says Pastor Gorham. He wants to see people
concerned with drugs send a message that "we don't want drugs
destroying our town and families. We have to take an active stand."

He also sees the rally as a way for residents to tell police "we're
supporting you."

Pastor Gorham believes the "moral majority has to start standing up
for what we believe in."

Talking about drugs, Pastor Gorham tells people "every dollar from it
goes back to organized crime.

The current hot drug in Lindsay, he says, is ecstasy. Crack cocaine is
in town, too. The wave from the west will soon see speed on the
streets, Pastor Gorham predicts.

He hopes ex-addicts will support the rally too. "They've been through
the hell of addiction and they don't want to see anyone go down that
road."

"People in high places don't think we have a problem," he says.
"Personally, I think we have a problem. A big problem. And we need to
be reactive now before it's too late.

"The community has to come together to say 'we don't want this stuff
here.'"