Judge Counting Down `til ‘Drugs Kill Dreams’ Day
11-year-old Webelo Scout Nolan Heilman and nine-year-old Bear Scout Owen Reesman prepare bags to help District Judge Gary DeComo continue to spread the ‘Drugs Kill Dreams’ message in local schools.
by Jonathan Weaver
A local drug prevention message will be spread statewide this weekend.
After 15 years of Armstrong County and regional residents hearing the “Drugs Kill Dreams” message from District Magisterial Judge Gary DeComo, State Senator Don White also got Senate support to have January 24 be proclaimed ‘Drugs Kill Dreams Day’ throughout the State.
“I’m real happy and proud of the community support I got for ‘Drugs Kill Dreams’ Sunday throughout the state of Pennsylvania,” Judge DeComo said. “We just hope everything we do here this weekend raises the level of prevention awareness because we need total community cooperation for prevention and we have that here in Armstrong County.”
Judge DeComo’s Ford City courtroom was transformed into a temporary workshop Tuesday evening so that Cub Scouts in Pack 670 could help prepare for this weekend.
Judge DeComo said 3,000-4,000 bags will be distributed to fourth through eighth graders across the region during the next few days with the prevention message in comic book-form. He said Scouts and Lenape Tech students helped save “an enormous amount of time.
“We’re trying to build up so that this Sunday, everybody has something,” Judge DeComo said.
Students will also receive tablets, pencils and prevention pamphlets.
Letters were also sent to Greensburg and Pittsburgh Diocese churches to encourage pastors to talk about drug prevention message during their Sunday services.
“More kids and adults are aware of prevention since September,” Judge DeComo said. “We donated sports memorabilia to schools between Freeport and Ford City, Kittanning – they see the message every day.
“The message is getting out, and that’s all we can do. If we increase prevention, we’re going to decrease addiction.”
Tuesday evening, Armstrong River Hawks hockey players also participated in the Drugs Kill Dreams Jail Experience at the Armstrong County Jail in Rayburn Township.
In October, the Richard G. Snyder YMCA in Kittanning was awarded a $10,000 grant from The Office of Attorney General (OAG) Community Drug Abuse Prevention Grant Program to help fund the drug prevention program’s anniversary campaign, “15 Years of Dreams Secured – Kickin` in Up for 15 More.”
Cub Scout Benjamin Fennell, of Ford City, helps spread the message on how to safely dispose of prescription drugs through bright orange stickers Tuesday.
Judge DeComo, along with YMCA, Armstrong School District and other community officials, plan to build on the existing ‘Drugs Kill Dreams’ infrastructure to provide additional opportunities for local youth to be exposed to prevention messages and understand the perils of drug abuse.
Plans already in-place include a year-long County proclamation, celebrity sports memorabilia donated to raffles to those students who pledge to remain drug free and during the YMCA’S summer day camps.
Judge DeComo also spread his message via Armstrong School District’s “Education Today” program earlier this school year and has a standing invitation to spread his message this weekend on a Pittsburgh Cable News Channel network broadcast.
Justin Fennell, of Ford City, and his seven-year-old son, Benjamin, helped label 2,000 Klingensmiths Drug Store prescription bags with bright-orange safe disposal information.
Benjamin, a Wolf Scout and Lenape Elementary second-grader, did the same task in September with fellow Scouts, and said he had fun performing the task.
Benjamin’s younger brother, Christopher, also helped out – even though he won’t be a Cub Scout until next year.
Cub Master Randall Reesman said the 14 Scouts are undoubtedly getting the prevention message more from the exposure.
“They know what’s good and what’s bad,” Reesman said.
Judge DeComo rewarded the Scouts with pizza and pop and Scouts will also receive community service hours.
Local News | jweaver January 20, 2016
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By Just sayin, January 20, 2016 @ 11:43 AM
Way to go, Judge DeComo! And thanks to the scouts for their good deeds.