KAILUA-KONA— DARE has become an interwoven part of student’s lives, and its presence was celebrated during an event at the Kekuaokalani gymnasium.
KAILUA-KONA— DARE has become an interwoven part of student’s lives, and its presence was celebrated during an event at the Kekuaokalani gymnasium.
Students from six middle schools came together to see how law enforcement operates, meet with officers and hear from an NFL player about his time in DARE.
“We say that the police are the people and the people are the police,” said Sgt. Roylen Valera to a crowd of middle school students drawn from six schools.
That means they depend on residents, like the students present, to stop crime, he said.
During his speech two men approached a county truck, simulated breaking in and driving off. He asked the students to remember a description, which was useful when the truck was stopped by police.
The passenger, played by Officer Kuilee Dela Cruz, fled. The driver, however, was captured by the special response team.
The keynote speaker was Ma’ake Kemoeatu, who played in the NFL from 2002 to 2012. He retired as a nose tackle for the Baltimore Ravens. He left the sport to donate a kidney to his brother, Chris. Chis was also an NFL player, winning two Super Bowls with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The message he wanted to transfer was “the same one I got,” he said.
That includes sticking to school and remaining focused.
“I wouldn’t be where I am now without DARE,” he said.
The focus and attention involved in the program were a great help, he said, including helping avoid drugs. He and his brother are both involved in their businesses and foundations they’ve developed since they left the NFL.