Pubdate: 28 Aug 1998
Source: New Haven Register
Contact:  http://www.ctcentral.com/
Author: Angela Carter

KMART KIDS TO RACE AGAINST DRUGS

NEW HAVEN - Hundreds of children will be riding lawn tractors this weekend,
but they won't be cutting any grass.

Instead, they'll be riding over blacktop.

Youngsters between 7 and 12 years old will be competing from 9 a.m. to 6
p.m. Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday in the anti-drug effort "Kmart Kids
Race Against Drugs."

The youths will race in safety-modified lawn tractors in a course around the
Super Kmart parking lot at 315 Foxon Blvd.

On Sunday, Fred Berry, who portrayed the character "Rerun" on the former ABC
situation comedy "What's Happening!!" will join the festivities.

Spokeswoman Janice Donadio said Kmart will donate $5 for every child that
competes to a fund, which in turn will divvy the proceeds among the local
youth and anti-drug programs Youth Fair Chance, New Haven Fighting Back and
Drug Abuse Resistance Education, or DARE.

Each race is expected to last about 2 minutes.

"Our corporate office has been running this event for the last couple of
years. This is our first year in the Connecticut area," Donadio said. "We
thought it would be good for this community."

Other races have been held in Ohio and Michigan.

The winners in three age categories 7-8, 9-10 and 11-12, will advance to a
regional meet, with a chance of competing in the national race for the grand
prize: A $10,000 college scholarship, Donadio said.

The locations for the regional and national competitions have not been
chosen yet, Donadio said.

Melinda Tuhus, spokeswoman for Fighting Back, the city's anti-drug program,
said every child will receive a T-shirt, cap and certificate for
participating.

"We're excited about this," Tuhus said of the friendly competition.

Youth Fair Chance is an initiative of the Regional Workforce Development
Board that provides summer programs for children as well as employment
training and education programs.

"We do all of this by engaging kids in recreational ways," said Maureen
Wagner, administrative services manager for Regional Workforce. "We show
kids that what they learn in school is connected to what they need to know
on the job."

Youth Fair Chance is funded primarily with grants, and Wagner said more
efforts from business and community organizations, such as the Kmart race,
would help the organization to remain in existence.

There is no fee to participate. For more information, call Janice Donadio at
468-0000.

- ---
Checked-by: Rolf Ernst