DARE celebrates 10 years helping kids

Retro Bill, Bob Fines of Fines Ford and Lincoln, a longtime supporter of the DARE program, and OPP Constable Gord Van der Grinten, pose next to the OPP DARE vehicle, contributed by Fines Ford.

DARE, an in-class 10-week education program that teaches students in Grade 6 about drugs and decision-making, “saves lives”, according to Caledon OPP Constable and DARE officer Gord Van der Grinten, who has been with the program for eight years.

Every year in Caledon approximately 1,200-1,300 students graduate from the DARE program, and Van der Grinten believes those students truly absorb the information they are given.

“All the vices or the issues that the students are going to face, especially through their teen years, [are covered],” said Van der Grinten, noting that the program also covers how to make smart decisions and build confidence, teaching students “that it’s okay to say no.”

In the 10 years since it began in Caledon, the DARE program has grown and evolved, thanks to support from the community and corporate sponsors.

“In the beginning it wasn’t taught in every school,” said Valerie Arnold-Judge, fundraiser for DARE and former Caledon public school trustee. Since then, fundraising efforts and committed corporate sponsors have allowed the program to expand into all of Caledon’s public and Catholic elementary schools, as well as the private Brampton Christian School, near the border of Caledon.

To raise funds and celebrate the milestone, a DARE golf tournament and dinner was held at Glen Eagle Golf Club, with special guest Retro Bill, the official DARE “safety buddy” and motivational speaker for students from kindergarten to Grade 12, zipping around in a ’57 Chevy golf cart.

Retro Bill made his Canadian debut in Caledon in 2009, visiting several local elementary and high schools to talk about respect, education, bullying, and how to say no to drugs using some “weird” diversionary tactics, some of which included a rubber chicken.

He once again came to Caledon to support the DARE program, greeting golfers and giving a keynote speech during dinner.

When Retro Bill visited Caledon’s high schools, most of the students were graduates of the DARE program, and his presentation, which included both serious moments and fits of laughter, acted as a bit of a refresher course, though many retain the lessons they learned in Grade 6.

“I see them in high school and they remember the values that they learned,” said Van der Grinten. “I think it’s not a silver bullet, but it helps.”
The total amount raised from the golf tournament has not yet been calculated, but Arnold-Judge speculates the total will be around $10,000 to $12,000.

“It was successful,” she said. “We had a good time and I was really glad to have the OPP there and Retro Bill there.”

For more information about the DARE program, which was developed by the Los Angeles police department and is now used across the United States and Canada, visit www.dare.org.

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