WALKING ON A DARE

Once her sons chose to make substance abuse part of their lives, none of
Nancy Dunlop's efforts could save them.

"There's no way to put the brakes on," she said. "Once it starts, it just
progresses ... trying to stop it was like trying to lie down in front of a
speeding train."

Now, the Oceanside area woman is doing everything she can to help other
people's families from suffering the way hers has.

On June 1, she completed the 26th annual Great Walk from Gold River to
Tahsis. Every year, hundreds of people complete the gruelling 63.5
kilometer walk-a-thon, collecting pledges beforehand and donating the money
to a charity of their choice.

Dunlop finished in 11 hours and seven minutes, and donated her $350 in
pledges to Oceanside's Drug Abuse Resistance Education program.

"DARE is all community supported, and that's almost enough to run one
program," she said.

Taught by uniformed RCMP officers, the 17-week program helps District 69's
Grade 5 students understand the consequences of substance abuse.

"It's not the silver bullet that's going to wipe out drug abuse, but
education certainly can't hurt," said Oceanside RCMP Constable Sheilah Roy,
a DARE instructor.

"It's extremely time-consuming and exhausting [to teach]. It's a lot of fun
though."

Dunlop is glad Roy and others involved with the DARE program continue to
make the effort.

"Middle school is so bad, and if [students] don't get informed before they
start there, if they don't get the tools, things can get overwhelming," she
said.

Dunlop has done the Great Walk twice before, to raise money for breast
cancer in support of her sister, Darlene, who died from the disease last year.

This year, she committed to DARE because she wanted to help keep local
youth from choosing the same path as her sons. Now 21 and 19, both men have
been in and out of youth and adult custody, ministry care and treatment
programs. "It's not something I'm ashamed of, it's not something I'm proud
of," Dunlop said. "It's something that's sad ... if only there was a way to
prevent more families from suffering the destruction that our family did."

During the June 1 walk, which began at 4 a.m., Dunlop listened to CDs,
enjoyed the scenery around her and took the time to reflect on her life and
the limited lives her sons have chosen.

"I feel safer for them when they're in jail, because when they're on the
street they're so at risk," she said.

The walk was long, and this year she didn't train, so Dunlop said there was
a point about halfway through the day when she began to have doubts. But by
the end, she was full of energy .

"You're in a mass of people and they're all really pumped, really charged
... and then you just walk through the most beautiful country."

Recalling a visit she made to Bowser Elementary last week as part of the
DARE program, Dunlop said, "I said to the kids at school, my challenge with
this walk was for one day. Their challenge [to resist drugs] is for the
next few years."

For more information about the DARE program, call Const. Sheilah Roy at
248-6111.