On Tuesday, Dec. 28, the kids at the Bryant Boys and Girls Club got a treat when members of the Saline County Sheriff’s Department brought their drug-detecting dog “Benton” in for show-and-tell. The officers gave a demonstration[more] of the canine’s impressive abilities.
The crowd of Kindergarten through eighth graders and the Club staff obviously enjoyed getting to see “Benton” in action as he sniffed out a “training pack” amongst paper sacks, jackets, and backpacks. His reward of choice was a brightly colored tennis ball from his handler Officer Eli Fowlkes, which Benton friskily played with as the kids giggled and watched.
Officer Kyle Ellison and Officer Allison Scifres also brought along McGruff the Crime Dog and passed out stickers, coloring books, and pencils bearing the DARE logo. The officers spoke to the kids about drugs and prevention, reinforcing some of the core programs taught at the Bryant Boys and Girls Club.
One of the programs the Club offers is the Skills Mastery and Resistance Training, a prevention/education program that addresses the problems of drug and alcohol use and premature sexual activity, according to Executive Director Suzanne Passmore.
“It teaches young people how to say no by involving them in discussion and role-playing, practicing resistance and refusal skills, developing assertiveness, strengthening decision-making skills and analyzing media and peer influence,” she said.
For more information about the Bryant Boys and Girls Club and the programs offered, visit www.bryantbgc.org or call Passmore at (501)231-5333.
teachkids
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