Pubdate: Tue, 31 Jul 2007 Source: Bluffton News-Banner, The (IN) Copyright: 2007 News Banner Publications, Inc. Contact: http://www.news-banner.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4543 Author: Justin Peeper Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/dare.htm (D.A.R.E.) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth) OFFICER HOLLAND'S DILIGENT D.A.R.E. DUTIES DESERVE CHEERS This writer still vividly recalls learning about how to say no to drugs at a very young age. My parents, of course, had that talk with me, but I'll never forget some lessons learned as a fifth-grade student in Melanie Gerber's class at Bluffton Middle School. During the 1991-1992 school year, Bluffton Police Officers Bruce Holland and Robert Morgan visited our classroom on a weekly basis for quite some time to teach the D.A.R.E. program (Drug Abuse Resistance Education). Over a period of several weeks, we learned about drugs and their harmful -- and many times deadly -- effects. But we also learned something far more important: It was OK to say no and how to say no. During an era when drug abuse and gang violence was high in this country, officials put together this successful program to reach young people. Today, D.A.R.E. is in about 75 percent of the country's school districts and in more than 43 countries worldwide, including Wells County. The lessons learned as an 11-year-old from officers Holland and Morgan back then have stayed with me -- and countless others -- into adulthood. The simple fact is their dedication and commitment to D.A.R.E. left an impact. In fact, there is no hesitation when we say the D.A.R.E. program in this county is the best in all of Indiana, the nation and worldwide because of the efforts of a hardworking, dedicated police officer who was recently recognized for his works. Bruce Holland, a 21-year veteran of the Bluffton Police Department, has been teaching students in the D.A.R.E. program since 1988. In fact, Holland initiated the D.A.R.E. program in Wells County. Since then and under Holland's leadership, the program has worked with hundreds of youth steering them toward drug-free and substance-free communities. But Holland's efforts and leadership have stretched far beyond Wells County. In fact, Holland has been recognized across the country for his involvement in D.A.R.E. He has been recognized as Indiana's D.A.R.E. officer of the year. He also has traveled to Germany twice and Okinawa once to give training programs designed to better prepare other officers. On July 18, however, he received an award that is more noteworthy than we can express: America's D.A.R.E. Officer of the Year, a top national honor given to just one officer each year. Officials from D.A.R.E. recognized Holland at an international training conference in Nashville, Tenn., and presented him with a plaque which now rests in his home. The prestigious award, which came as a complete surprise, left Holland speechless but affirmed what many have said about him for quite some time: Bruce is a true asset to Wells County in many regards. We cannot think of a better way to honor Holland for his D.A.R.E. leadership over the years, and we thank him and others on the police force for continuing to teach our community's children how to say no to drugs. The price of not doing so is more costly than we can ever imagine. Holland has dedicated his police career to the D.A.R.E. program, calling it his "heart and soul." That dedication has saved lives, no doubt, while educating a plethora of young minds about making the best, most-informed decisions about their lives. Perhaps Mayor Ted Ellis summarized it best this spring: "This (award) underscores the fact that Bluffton is a community where national recognition is becoming more and more familiar." Thanks to the efforts of Bruce Holland and many others like him, our small community continues to move forward and progress at striking speeds with all due diligence. We see the dividends day in and day out. Bluffton is lucky, no doubt, to have Bruce Holland, and we congratulate him on the well-deserved national recognition. We hope his D.A.R.E. efforts continue here and across the nation and international scene for many years to come because the impact on young lives is and has been evident. - --- MAP posted-by: Derek