Montezuma County law-enforcement officers wait on customers to raise money for DARE during the 9th annual Tip-a-Cop Fund-Raiser held earlier this month. Find out how much they raised.
MONTEZUMA LAW ENFORCEMENT AND JAYFARGO'S DARE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF AREA YOUTH.
YOU'RE WATCHING LOCAL NEWS NETWORK. I'MWENDY GRAHAM SETTLE. MEMBERS OF LAW ENFORCEMENT WAITED HAND AND FOOTON GUESTS AT THE NINTH ANNUAL TIP-A-COP FUND-RAISER AT J FARGO'SFAMILY DINING AND MICROBREWERY IN CORTEZ. THE EVENT BENEFITED CORTEZFRIENDS OF DARE
THE DARE PROGRAM STARTED IN LOS ANGELES IN1983. WE STARTED IT IN '92, I BELIEVE, MAYBE '93, HERE IN CORTEZ, ANDIT IS A DRUG ABUSE RESISTANCE EDUCATION IS WHAT IT STANDS FOR, ANDIT'S JUST SKILLS ON HOW TO REFUSE DRUGS AND MAKE REALLY GOOD CHOICESAND FEEL GOOD ABOUT THAT. WE TALK ABOUT SELF-ESTEEM, WE TALK ABOUTRISKS. IT'S A LOT OF JUST PERSONAL SKILLS THAT THEY CAN USE NOT ONLYWITH DRUG STUFF, BUT IN SITUATIONS THAT, THAT KIDS DEAL WITHEVERYDAY. I THINK.
TIP-A-COP FUND-RAISERS ARE NOT UNIQUE TOMONTEZUMA COUNTY. IN OTHER COLORADO COMMUNITIES, OFFICERS TYPICALLYGO TABLE TO TABLE TO PASS OUT BROCHURES AND ASK FOR DONATIONS.CORTEZ, HOWEVER, HAS BEEN RUNNING THEIR TIP-A-COP EVENT A LITTLEDIFFERENTLY FOR THE LAST NINE YEARS.
WE ARE DIFFERENT BECAUSEWE DO THE ENTIRE WAITER AND WAITRESS THING. SO WE HAVE UNIFORMEDOFFICERS THAT MAYBE HAVE NEVER DONE THIS BEFORE AND THEY HAVE A,WAITRESS KIND OF DESIGNED TO HELP THEM OUT, BUT THEY KNOW THESPECIALS, THEY TAKE THE ORDERS, THEY DO THE POINT OF SALE, SO THEYACTUALLY RUN THE POINT OF SALE THAT THEY'VE PROBABLY NEVER DONEBEFORE. AND THEY'RE BACK MAKING SALADS AND MAKING DESSERTS, ANDTHEY'RE DOING SOME OF THE FOOD PREP STUFF. AND THEN, THEY COME OUTWITH THEIR TRAY, THE WHOLE DEAL. THEY DO ALL THIS SERVICE. SO THEYPRETTY MUCH DO IT ALL, WHICH IS KIND OF UNIQUE, BUT THAT WE DO ALL OFTHAT. MOST PEOPLE DON'T. ONE THING THAT REALLY IS UNIQUE WITH OUR,WITH THIS EVENT, IS WE, WE HAVE OFFICERS FROM MULTIPLE AGENCIES ALLOVER. WE'VE HAD UP TO, I THINK, SIX OR SEVEN DIFFERENT AGENCIES ALLWORKING TOGETHER IN THIS EVENT. SO IT'S A CAMARADERIE THING AS WELL.IT'S JUST FUN.
THIS YEAR'S FUND-RAISER. IT WAS ESPECIALLYHEARTFELT. IT HONORED THE LATE CORTEZ POLICE CHIEF ROY LANE, WHO WASBELOVED AND RESPECTED FOR HIS 39- YEAR SERVICE. HE WAS INSTRUMENTALIN STARTING THE DARE PROGRAM IN 1992.
AND WHEN HE HEARD ABOUTIT? HE JUMPED RIGHT ON IT, AND SAID, WHO WANTS TO DO THIS? SO NOTONLY DID HE PUT OFFICERS IN THE SCHOOLS, HE INCREASED THE NUMBER OFOFFICERS, AND WE'VE BEEN IN THE SCHOOLS, PROBABLY SAY IT'S PROBABLY1992, AND WE HAD A FEW YEARS WITH REALLY TIGHT BUDGETS, AND WE HADPEOPLE SAYING, WE NEED TO GET THE POLICE OUT OF THE SCHOOLS AND GETTHEM ON THE STREET. THAT'S WHERE THE POLICE BELONGS ON THE STREET.AND HE REFUSED TO DO THAT. AND HE KIND OF HAD A SAYING THAT WAS,WHERE IN OUR COMMUNITY DO WE HAVE THAT MANY OF OUR CITIZENS IN ONEPLACE? WHERE MORE THAN A SCHOOL DO WE HAVE THAT MANY CITIZENS? ANDTHEN HE FOLLOWED IT UP WITH WHAT CITIZENS ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN OURKIDS.
THANKS TO THE GENEROSITY OF JAY FARGO'S AND OTHERCOMMUNITY SPONSORS AND THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO DINED, THE EVENTRAISED $6,000 FROM TIPS, MEAL PROCEEDS, AND OTHER DONATIONS FOR LOCALSCHOOL CHILDREN.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE DAREPROGRAM, CONTACT THE CORTEZ POLICE DEPARTMENT OR VISITCITYOFCORTEZ.COM/THREE THREE NINE SLASH DARE.
THANKS FOR WATCHING THIS EDITION OFLOCAL NEWS NETWORK. IF YOU'D LIKE TO SEE THE STORY AGAIN, VISIT OURWEBSITE WHERE YOU CAN SIGN UP TO HAVE US DELIVER YOUR NEWS DIRECTLYTO YOUR INBOX. I'M WENDY GRAHAM, SETTLE FOR THE LOCAL NEWS NETWORK.
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