ROANOKE TIMES

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, February 27, 1992                   TAG: 9202270439
SECTION: NEIGHBORS                    PAGE: W4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Leslie Taylor
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short


SALEM'S CAMP DARE CALLED `MODEL PROJECT'

Salem has received the District 2 Community Traffic Safety Board's 1991 Outstanding Community Project Award for the city's Camp DARE program.

Camp DARE, a seven-week summer day camp that debuted last year, is an outgrowth of the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program.

The camp was designed to build positive self-images; develop positive, trusting relationships with adults; and encourage youngsters to return to school in the fall ready to make appropriate choices when faced with negative pressures.

"We thought it was best representative of a communitywide project," said Mary King, public information officer for the District 2 Transportation Safety Division.

"It's a model project, with support from all levels - the city of Salem all the way down to the citizens themselves."

Last year's Camp DARE treated about 70 sixth- through eighth-graders to horseback riding, canoeing, fishing, hiking and swimming, with a little bit of DARE activity woven in. The camp was held at Camp on Craig in Craig County, courtesy of the Virginia Baptist Children's Home, the camp's owner.

This year, the number of campers will increase to more than 150, Assistant City Manager Forest Jones said. Increasing campers means increased dollars, funding the city has pledged to provide.

The DARE camp has been funded entirely by Salem through its youth activity fund. Last year, the city spent about $110 per child. - LESLIE TAYLOR



by Bhavesh Jinadra by CNB