Title
Proclamation congratulating the 2008 Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) Program graduates.
Body
WHEREAS, the DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) Program is the world's largest and most successful program of its kind developed for school-aged children; and
WHEREAS, The DARE curriculum, a ten-week program, is delivered in 14,000 communities in the United States and in 54 foreign countries around the world by specially trained police officers; and
WHEREAS, the DARE Officers provide the children in those communities with the resistance and decision-making skills they need to remain drug- and violence-free, and also provide classes and supplemental lessons on gangs, bullying, prescription drug abuse, Internet safety, and more; and
WHEREAS, the DARE Program has been taught at the Pittsburgh Public Schools and various schools within the Catholic Diocese, and will culminate with a graduation event at which the parents and community will be asked to re-affirm and support the lessons learned in the classroom; and
WHEREAS, this year's graduation will be the largest gathering of DARE graduates in the history of DARE; and
WHEREAS, the event will be held at Heinz Field and will feature not only the 2,300 fourth, fifth, and sixth grade students involved in DARE, but Pittsburgh Bureau of Police Chief Nathan Harper, Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, along with many other local and state government and law enforcement officials, the Assistant Superintendent for the Pittsburgh Public Schools, Bishop Zubick of the Archdiocese of Pittsburgh, members of the Pittsburgh Panthers Football Team, the DARE America CEO, and a multitude of other DARE supporters;
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, Allegheny County Council hereby commends the DARE Program as it prepares to honor its newest class of graduates. Furthermore, we thank the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police and the City of Pittsburgh for your dedication to educating our youth about a variety of harmful behaviors. We hereby join in celebration of this distinguished achievement and congratulate the 2008 graduates of the DARE Program.