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

DATE: SATURDAY, June 24, 1995                   TAG: 9506260136
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: SARAH HUNTLEY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Long

DARE CAMPERS CAN'T WAIT TO GET TO END OF THEIR ROPE

Eleven-year-old Sara Layman wasn't smiling. And who could blame her?

There she was, teetering on a tightrope 30 feet above the ground - no net below, nothing keeping her safe except a harness, a series of ropes connected to her tiny waist and the know-how of her guides.

She put a hesitant foot forward and froze.

"I can't do it," Sara said, looking toward the platform bolted to the trunk of the nearest tree, where counselor Kevin McCulley stood waiting.

"Sure you can," he yelled back. "Look at how far you've gone already and how close you are."

The seventh-grader kept moving, an inch at a time. About three-quarters of the way across, she lost her balance and fell, but a purple rope kept her in the air, dangling like a spider from its web.

Sara placed both feet back on the line and hoisted herself up with the ropes above her head. A few minutes later, she reached the platform and reached for McCulley's hand.

"You did it," he said, beaming, as she threw her arms around him and gave him a hug.

Welcome to Camp Roanoke, where it's all about pushing the limits, boosting self-confidence, learning new skills and developing trust. And as the 32 kids in Roanoke County's first summer DARE program discovered this week, where it's also about having fun.

"This is the best camp I've ever been to in my life," Jacob Bond, 11, said as he watched some friends wage a water war Wednesday. "I've been to a couple of camps, and this is definitely the nicest."

Rave reviews like these are music to DARE Officer Monty Williams' ears. He has worked with the Department of Parks and Recreation and county schools for more than a year in an effort to develop a summer Drug Abuse Resistance Education program.

Both Roanoke and Salem have sponsored DARE camps, but until now, the county had not. The two five-day sessions target the county's incoming seventh-grade class and reinforce anti-drug lessons they learned in younger years. At the camp, however, there's an extra goal.

"We want the kids to see police officers in a setting they don't usually see us in," Williams said. "Most of the time, I'm Officer Williams in the classroom. Up here, they call me Monty."

Funded by donations, the DARE camp is free and full of good times. In addition to the ropes course, the campers went canoeing, caving and exploring. Police and fire personnel also gave safety talks and demonstrations.

"One of the things DARE promotes is positive alternatives," Williams said. "Some of these kids haven't done these things."

He pointed to two Patrick Henry High School students, volunteer counselors for the week.

"Those are two success stories right there. They don't have time for drugs and stuff. They're getting high by going out on a kayak or going down the river," Williams said. "I hope these kids will, too."

The DARE program was the first organized group to use the newly renovated camp near Spring Hollow Reservoir, but starting this summer, Camp Roanoke will be open to any interested parties.

Under the direction of parks and recreation staffer Rick Showalter, employees and volunteers have worked side by side during the past months - clearing the overgrowth, repairing the buildings and constructing the ropes courses at the former YMCA camp.

They've earned the support of the Board of Supervisors, which agreed earlier this month to allocate $50,000 to the cause. Showalter said the money will be used to launch a fund-raising drive. The county hopes to rebuild the camp's swimming pool and renovate eight existing cabins to make overnight stays possible within the next two years.

Success is well on its way. A Girl Scout troop has already booked time there, and all three of the sessions in the county's Adventure Camp program will come to Camp Roanoke to use the ropes courses. The parks department hopes corporate groups will take advantage of the facility as well.

"The whole philosophy behind the ropes courses, high and low, is to instill a feeling of teamwork, camaraderie and self-improvement, so the courses are good for any group that is working on those goals," course designer Dave Moore said.

Thirteen-year-old Jake Foster was champing at the bit to get up on the course Tuesday, as Moore shared some important pointers.

"The element of being in the trees makes this a little more difficult than the low-ropes course," Moore was saying. "Not only do you have to do the obstacles, but you have to trust yourself to get through the event and stay calm. But don't worry. Everything here is very safe."

Jake shifted feet impatiently. "I can't wait to get up there," he said.

Finally, his turn came. He whizzed through the 10 obstacles, coming at last to "The Zip," a high-speed, no-stops-possible descent from a 55-foot-high platform.

"I'm not too sure about this," he said, looking down as his fellow campers cheered him on. After a brief hesitation, he slid off the platform and went flying through the air, screeching the whole way.

Jake grinned from ear to ear as he unhooked his harness a few minutes later.

"That part was definitely the best," he said. "It near gave me a heart attack, and I'm only 13 years old."