The annual South Eastman Rotary fundraiser luncheon for the RCMP Drug Awareness Resistance Education program was held at the Mennonite Heritage Village on Tuesday.

Rotary Club President Corny Petkau says when the club was founded in the Southeast they were looking for a good cause to support. He notes the RCMP D.A.R.E. program was a perfect fit for the Rotary Club.

“Sometimes you wonder when you are phoning people and asking for funds if it is worth it or not but every time it is done and when we see the results in the kids, the teachers show us what the kids have learned, it is very well worth it and it is a big honour to be involved with that.”

Petkau says the turnout was great which may have had something to do with their entertainment, a demonstration from the police dog Enzo. He notes MLA Kelvin Goertzen put on protective gear as part of the demonstration and was attacked by Enzo.

Steinbach RMCP Staff Sergeant Harold Laninga says as part of the D.A.R.E. program a uniformed officer goes into middle schools and teaches students a variety of skills including how to avoid drugs, violence, and gangs. He notes for many years Community Liaison Constable Kevin Wynn led the D.A.R.E. program but has since moved on to other opportunities.

“Now that he has moved on, we've actually got two positions from the province which are called community constables, Special Constable Gabriel Bunn and Special Constable Dennis Redekop. Their primary focus is to assist our communities and be community liaisons, so they will be providing the D.A.R.E. Training to our youth.”

Laninga says this is the fifth time he has attended the annual fundraiser luncheon and he is always amazed at the way the community supports the RCMP.

“Steinbach is a community that very much bands together to help us. It is never 'the police need to do that.' I see everyone working together, whether it be Rotary or Lion's Club or Steinbach Drug Awareness Committee, we all come together as individuals and we work together for the betterment of the community and the betterment of our youth so that is what this meeting today means.”