OYAMA ELEMENTARY CELEBRATES DARE PROGRAM

Despite having less RCMP officials on hand than expected, Oyama
Elementary's Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) graduation went off
quite well. Last week's kidnapping in Merritt apparently drew some
scheduled RCMP members to the Nicola Valley.

Constable Scott West, the local DARE coordinator, says there's usually a
change in DARE graduate's perception of the program from when they start to
when they complete it.

"They start warming up to you after they realize I'm not there to tell them
this or that," said West.

Toni Bailey is one of the 29 recent Oyama DARE grads. "I thought it was a
good thing for people not to take drugs. At first, I didn't want to but now
I really don't want to.

"I thought it would be all talking about drugs, but Constable West made it
fun. We didn't just sit there."

Oyama Principal Doreen Stevenson is pleased with her first DARE program.
"This was my first experience with the DARE program and I'm really
impressed by it. And we're all here to celebrate with them," said Stevenson.

To highlight the program, students held four skits, which outlined the
eight ways to say 'no' to drugs or alcohol.

DARE grads include Bailey, Jesse Andres, Cheyenne Brooks, Sara Chopek,
Carly Derbyshire, Sony Dhaliwal, Cal Duncan, Jeremy Guenther, Darby Haber,
Justin Idler, Mike Kauffman, Lindsay Ley, Jessica MacDonnell, Christopher
Mason, Dylan McCullough, Erik Neuhaus, Angus Powell, Aaron Schmidt, Brad
Sloan, Brooke Sproule, Chase Sye, Dylan Thomas, Emily Thomason, Elissa
Thompson, Dyllan Walraven, Delby Ward, Michael Warkentin, Colton Whitesel
and Mikey Wickstrom.

Supporters of the Oyama DARE program are the Oyama PAC, Coopers, A&W,
District of Lake Country, Harmony Honda, Kendall Penty & Co., Lake Country
Chamber of Commerce, Judy Hodson, Okanagan Beverage Corp., Rotary Club of
Lake Country, Sun Rype, UBR Services, United Carpet, Winfield Flowers,
Winfield Lion's Club, Gatzke Orchards and the Calendar.

Principal Doreen Stevenson hands out DARE shirts to the graduates who later
waited patiently at the front of the gymnasium.