Oct 24, 2002 By Christine Haines 3 min read

BROWNSVILLE – Although Tom Wardman retired as a full-time Brownsville police officer earlier this year, he is still the D.A.R.E. instructor in the area, serving some 1,300 students each year. Wardman is currently in the midst of his annual fund drive, seeking money for the extras that help to motivate the students participating in the program designed to help them resist drug abuse. D.A.R.E. stands for Drug Abuse Resistance Education.

“The money I’m raising is for extra stuff for the kids, extra rewards. At the end of the course, we have graduation ceremonies for all the classes and this will pay for a Dairy Queen cake for each class,” Wardman said.

Wardman is asking area residents and businesses for contributions. For a $25 contribution Wardman will hand-deliver a “D.A.R.E. Supporter” sign that can be displayed to show support for the Brownsville Police Department and the Brownsville Area School District.

Wardman has been conducting the D.A.R.E. program in the Brownsville Area School District and Holy Rosary School for seven years.

“The main core program is only for fifth graders,” Wardman said.

He also does programs for students in kindergarten through fourth grades, seventh graders who are staring junior high school and for students in eleventh grade. Kindergarten students are visited once a year, first and second grade get four visits from the D.A.R.E. officer each year, while third and fourth grade students see him five times a year.

The middle school and high school students go through a 10-session program, while the fifth grade students get a 17-lesson program, Wardman said.

Last year’s eleventh grade students were the first fifth grade class Wardman taught in the district.

“It seemed to go pretty good. There was a lot of interaction in the high school,” Wardman said.

Although the school program is on hold for the moment in the Brownsville Area School District due to the current teachers’ strike, Wardman said he is continuing to teach D.A.R.E. classes at Holy Rosary. The public school program will resume when the strike ends.

Wardman said the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency reimburses the borough for his teaching hours and for basic supplies such as lesson books. The grants don’t cover the cost of the stickers, bracelets, stuffed animals and other items Wardman hands out to the students for applying themselves to the program.

Donation checks to help cover the cost of those supplies should be made out to the Brownsville D.A.R.E. Project, Second and High streets, Brownsville, Pa., 15417. Donations may also be dropped off at the borough secretary’s office located on the second floor of the borough building.