DARE GRADUATION, TRUCK UNVEILING IS APRIL 23

The Carthage DARE Vehicle Is Done.

The 1989 Chevy truck, owned by DARE officer and assistant police chief
Scott Floyd, has been fully painted, detailed, striped, and equipped with
numerous extras in the past several months. The final work was done by
Monday, April 5, at Outlaw Tees in Nauvoo.

"I picked it up Monday morning," Floyd said. "It will be stored at CARS
Autobody until the graduation ceremony."

The vehicle is the culmination of a year-and-a-half worth of work in trying
to get a vehicle and donors lined up. Floyd approached Carson Ford to get a
used vehicle that would work.

"Rob tried his best," Floyd said. "I was working with other donors, too.
David (Fecht of CARS Autobody) was donating the body work and painting. I
was trying to find a vehicle that worked for Rob and for David. We weren't
having much luck. After a while, donors were wanting something to happen. I
decided to donate my truck so we had a vehicle."

Donors other than CARS Autobody were Lamporte Funeral Homes, who bought the
wheel rims and tires, Cook's Glass and Mirror providing the front and rear
glass, Outlaw Tees of Nauvoo adding striping and graphics, including the
donors' logos. GT Lawn Service bought a winch for the front of the truck,
and Computing Made Easy provided a laptop computer Floyd hopes to use with
a GPS system.

Floyd and the city are talking about the city buying the truck from Floyd
and titling it as a city vehicle. The truck is in Floyd's name. The state
DARE organization does not have any rules about how a DARE vehicle is titled.

"We have reached agreement on a figure. It still has to go through the
safety committee and the full council for approval," said Carthage Mayor
Jim Nightingale. "I didn't think it was fair that Scott had to donate his
own truck for this."

Floyd said the truck is valued at about $30,000 for insurance purposes.

"That's how much it is worth with all the work that has been done to it,"
he said. "It booked around $6,000 before all the work was done."

This year's DARE graduation in Carthage is at 1 p.m. on April 23. State
Representative Rich Myers and Senator John Sullivan are special guests.
Each will hand out their own diplomas for the graduating group of sixth
graders.

"This is the first time I've heard of a DARE graduation having a state
representative and state senator attend," Floyd said. "I think getting a
diploma from them is a lot more meaningful to the kids than one from
Officer Floyd."

Floyd normally asks for donations to help with the costs of diplomas and a
gift bag at graduation. This year, he did not.

"This year, they get the truck as their gift from us," he said.

This is the first year that the graduation ceremony is being held at the
high school in front of the entire student body.

Floyd has received books for a program called Safety Net. That program is
from Canada and is for children second through fifth grades.

"It touches on subjects that DARE doesn't, like Stranger Danger and Good
Touch Bad Touch," Floyd said. "It also helps prepare them for DARE."

Floyd and representatives from the company went to local businesses for
donations. The COPS officer, paid for by the COPS grant (Community Oriented
Policing Services), will likely implement the program in the schools.

"I'm not sure if it will be started this year or next year," Floyd said.