Tri-County News

DARE graduates 123 students


Sheriff Jeff Norlin announces that the 2014 DARE classes have been completed and that he would like to congratulate the 123 DARE graduates for year 2014 from the Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City and the Eden Valley-Watkins Schools.

The Meeker County Sheriff?Äôs Office has been a participant in the DARE program for more than 20 years and has been taught by Captain Jon Thoma for the last seven years. DARE is a collaboration between the school and law enforcement to bring a uniformed officer into the school to teach students decision-making skills and consequences about drugs and alcohol. DARE also helps to build students?Äô self-esteem to stay out of risky situations and to avoid peer pressure.

Captain Jon Thoma said he was glad he could arrange the motivated and influential speaker Anchorman Randy Shaver from KARE 11 News to be the keynote speaker for
the 2014 DARE graduates. Shaver gave the graduates a powerful message that ?Äúit only takes one time.?Äù The meaning to this phrase is that they now have the knowledge about drugs, alcohol, marijuana and peer pressure decision making and how one bad decision could affect them for the rest of their lives.

Guest speakers included Meeker County Commissioner Mike Huberty and Meeker County Commissioner Bryan Larson.

Sheriff Jeff Norlin and Captain Jon Thoma would also like to congratulate the essay winners from both schools. Their essays were read during the graduation ceremony: Cole Erickson from Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City and Reilly Hennen from Eden Valley-Watkins.

 

Pictured from left to right are KARE 11 News Anchorman Randy Shaver, Reilly Hennen of EV-W, Cole Erickson of ACGC and Captain Jon Thoma. Submitted photo.

 

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