DARE Graduation

May 19 was a big day for the fifth-grade class. They got to share what they learned in a 12-week DARE course with their parents and guests.

Drug Abuse Resistance Education, or DARE, is program sponsored by the Chicago Police Department that teaches children how to resist illegal drugs, violence, and other temptations that may come into their lives through peer-pressure. During the course, the children created a Public Service Announcement poster to inform others of the reasons to stay drug-free and wrote an essay expressing their personal reasons to stay drug-free. At the graduation ceremony, two Public Service Announcements - created by Brendan Pfeiffer and Emily Clune - and two essays - written by Mary-Sophia Golden and Adrian Santiago - were recognized.

The DARE program at St. Viator was facilitated by Officer Mary Lombardo of the Neighborhood Relations Division of the Chicago Police Department. Joining the class at the graduation ceremony was special guest Lieutenant Joe Porebski, the CAPS Lieutenant from the 17th District, who was representing the 17th District Commander, Mike Mealer.

The graduation ceremony ended with the children singing the DARE song, I Will DARE, a pledge to parents, teachers, and the community that they will beat the odds and be winners in the war on drugs.