The Douglas County D.A.R.E. Foundation is one of the winners of $1,000 grants being given by YourHub.com in 15 communities.

Dep. Dave Joly of the D.A.R.E. program and a public information officer for the Douglas County Sheriff's Department made the nomination of the D.A.R.E. Foundation and expressed the department's appreciation for being chosen.

"This should be a very rewarding grant amount to help us accomplish the mission of the D.A.R.E. program in Douglas County schools," Joly said. Along with deputy Joly, the program is staffed by deputies Ann Walton and Sam Leal.

The foundation, comprised of members of the Douglas County Sheriff's Department, Castle Rock Police Department, Parker Police Department and dedicated Douglas County School District and community representatives, seeks to provide funds for the D.A.R.E. program goal of teaching young people about the harmful effects of drugs, alcohol, tobacco and violence, Joly said.

In his grant application essay, Joly noted that the cost of providing the D.A.R.E. curriculum is about $15 per student, and the foundation provides more than half the cost of instructional materials and the entire cost of other teaching aids.

In addition to the classroom instruction benefit, Joly pointed out another important benefit to the D.A.R.E. program presence. "When not in a classroom teaching, each D.A.R.E. officer is a roving, armed, uniformed and radio-equipped officer in the school. Given that many school populations number in the thousands of students per school, schools are communities of their own. D.A.R.E. officers protect those communities."

For more information about the Douglas County D.A.R.E. Foundation and the D.A.R.E. program, visit www.dcsheriff.net.