Where DARE comes in

DARE Instructor and McCook Police Officer Gary Linnemeyer works through a scenario about peer pressure with Central Elementary DARE students (from left) Chris Lines, Taylor matson, Tara Morgan and Connor Larson.

Today's children hear these encouraging slogans: "Dare to dream." "Dare to believe." "Dare to achieve." But even the strongest child won't be able to accomplish any of these unless he or she is free from the choke-hold of drugs and alcohol and other negative pressures in their young lives. That's where D.A.R.E. comes in.

D.A.R.E. stands for Drug Abuse Resistance Education. It is a classroom curriculum for kindergarten through 12th grade that teaches youngsters how to live healthy lives, avoiding and resisting the addictions that can kill their dreams and ruin their lives.

In McCook, McCook Police and School Resource Officer Jerry Calvin and McCook Police Officer Gary Linnemeyer teach D.A.R.E. classes at Central and at the junior high.

Linnemeyer is into the fifth week of his first D.A.R.E. class. "I'm getting such a charge from these kids," Linnemeyer said. "They've even rejuvenated my career."

In class Feb. 11, Linnemeyer's fifth's graders learned, from a 2002 University of Michigan survey, that 20 out of 100 eighth graders surveyed used alcohol in the past 30 days. While that figure may be upsetting, it also means (more importantly) that 80 eighth graders had not been drinking in the past 30 days.

So, the D.A.R.E. students learned, the typical peer pressure they're bombarded with -- "Ahhhh, come on. Everybody's doing it." -- just isn't accurate.

Linnemeyer attended an intensive two-week training session last summer in Lincoln to become a D.A.R.E. instructor. "I want to do the best I can for the kids," Linnemeyer said. "Working with kids is something I've always wanted to do."

Linnemeyer makes himself available to his students outside of D.A.R.E. class as well, on the playground and in the halls, eating lunch in the cafeteria. That presence can improve a child's perception of a law enforcement officer, and help make a police officer more approachable if an emergency arises.

Linnemeyer said he and his fellow D.A.R.E. instructor, Jerry Calvin, are proud that McCook's D.A.R.E. program is funded almost entirely with donations, and uses few city or school funds. Teaching materials, reward pencils and D.A.R.E. T-shirts are donated, and Linnemeyer plans to give to the elementary schools D.A.R.E.-insignia soccer balls, kickballs and basketballs, all donated to the D.A.R.E. program. Linnemeyer said it is also important to recognize McCook Public Schools, which provides the classrooms and time for D.A.R.E. classes.

D.A.R.E. classes at Central last for nine weeks, and conclude with a culmination ceremony for "graduates" and their families.

A treat this year will be "D.A.R.E. DAY," a trip for graduates to a recreation center in North Platte.