RUMFORD — Seventy-six, fifth-grade students from schools in Rumford and Mexico graduated Thursday night from the Police Department’s Drug Abuse Resistance Education program.

More than 200 people attended the 24th DARE Culmination Celebration for the Class of 2018 in the auditorium at Mountain Valley High School in Rumford.

Led by instructors Sgts. Doug Maifeld and Tracey Higley, the 90-minute program featured guest speaker Walter Abbott, a retired University of Maine professor and former football coach, and four students who shared their award-winning essays.

Abbott urged the graduates to be strong in subsequent school years when faced with temptations to do drugs and crime.

In reminiscing about students from the area, Abbott said they told him that DARE gave them the courage to know right from wrong.

He also addressed parents, telling them that they need to be role models for their children.

“Have open conversations with your young men and women,” he said. “In fact, the average time spent for an adult, a parent, with their children, one on one from middle school up … is about 15 minutes. That’s sad. So, parents, take time and sit down and talk with them.”

He also urged parents to get outside and recreate with their children.

“A family is a lot like a football team,” Abbott said.

“You’ve got your coaches, which are you parents, and your players, who are your children, a good representation of which are here tonight. And to have a good team, to have good success, coaches need to praise and offer positive feedback to their players.”

He urged parents to give positive feedback and reinforce it to nurture self-confidence and self-esteem in their children.

Students Jacob Sinclair, Abbie Blauvelt, Ashlynn Conley and Hailey Akers then reinforced Abbott’s message, revealing what they learned during the program.

“I really feel that DARE has showed me the rights and wrongs of life and how some people can end up on the wrong end,” Sinclair said onstage.

“I learned in DARE that you shouldn’t just go to a place that you know is bad and that you should always define, assess, respond and evaluate the situation. … One of the most important things is your self-esteem. Make sure it’s positive.”

Blauvelt urged all to be confident and assertive, but respectful when saying no to someone offering drugs, alcohol or tobacco.

“What you should do is look them in the eye and say, ‘No, I don’t want it,’” she said.

Conley said DARE to her, means “to make better choices in your life and make sure you know what dangers can not only happen to you, but can happen to people around you.”

Akers expounded on the nine ways to be in charge, advising students there is strength in numbers.

tkarkos@sunjournal.com

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