511 parish students graduate this year’s DARE program

After completing 10 weeks of Drug Abuse Resistance Education, 511 students from across St. Mary Parish will graduate from the DARE program this year.
DARE teaches students good decision making skills so that they are better equipped to lead safe and healthy lives. Lessons include the dangers of drug abuse, how to resist and refuse peer pressure, and how to take a stand against bullying. The program is designed to boost students’ social skills and enhance their self-esteem which is a key factor in contending with these issues.
This year’s graduations were marked by the retirement of DARE Officer Lt. Robert Bobby Darce. Darce has served as a DARE Officer and program coordinator with the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office for six years.
Sheriff Mark Hebert said Lt. Darce’s impact on students and families is lasting. “This is evident in the smiles, hugs, and high-fives he continues to receive long after the graduations ceremonies are over,” Hebert said. “During those years, Lt. Darce has taught good decision making skills to thousands of students. He’s touched a lot of lives through his work. We thank him for his dedication to keeping St. Mary students away from drugs and alcohol.”
The St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office manages the DARE program for seven of the schools in the parish teaching the Drug Abuse Resistance Education curriculum to over 500 students each year. Funding for this program is provided through grants and the Louisiana Sheriff’s Association Honorary Membership Program.