Pubdate: Sat, 11 Jun 2005
Source: Palladium-Item (IN)
Copyright: 2005 Palladium-Item
Contact: http://www.pal-item.com/customerservice/contactus.html
Website: http://www.pal-item.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2624
Author: Tarah Knorpp
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/dare.htm (D.A.R.E.)

D.A.R.E. PROGRAM OFFERS SO MUCH

Hello. My name is Tarah Knorpp and I have been involved in the Richmond 
D.A.R.E. program for four years. I love it. D.A.R.E. is a place to go and 
have fun with your friends and meet new people. If I had to describe 
D.A.R.E. in one word, that one word would be love. I have never been in an 
environment that I have seized so much love in one summer.

When you hear the name Officer Rick Thalls, what do you automatically 
think? The average person that has seen his overall appearance would think 
he is intimidating and a big tough guy. Don't get me wrong, Rick has to be 
a tough guy at work. But when he is at camp for a dance or camps during the 
summer, he is just a big kid at heart. He loves going to the river to fish 
or watch campers swim, or going on a hayride, or doing sports. He just 
wants to show young children and people that just because drugs are at 
arm's length all the time in this community doesn't mean you have to reach 
for them to fit in. Rick shows us through time that if you put yourself out 
there as a person wanting to make new friends or better yourself, it's at 
arm's length also.

Come to D.A.R.E. and you won't regret it. We all have such a wonderful time 
down there. I believe Rick Thalls needs a little more appreciation than he 
receives. If it weren't for Rick, there would be no D.A.R.E. and that would 
put 100-200 more kids out in the world -- susceptible to drugs and the 
wrong way of life. I personally want to thank Officer Rick Thalls for 
making D.A.R.E. camp happen. This camp has kept me off the streets and 
drug-free. Thank you, Rick.

Tarah Knorpp, Boston
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom