For Hometown News
HOBE SOUND -- Attorney Tom Schmitt of Goldstein, Schmitt and Wade, represented the law firm at the Drug and Alcohol Resistance Education graduation at Seawind Elementary School in Hobe Sound, one of the four schools the law firm provides DARE T-shirts for.
The DARE program is an 11-week course that is taught in 10 Martin County public schools by specially trained school resource officers. Approximately 1,500 students graduate from the DARE program annually.
More than 140 students participated in the Seawind classes taught by Martha Williams, Martin County Deputy. After the course work is done, the students write an essay about what they have learned about drug and alcohol use and the negative effect it has one's life. Essay winners are chosen from each class and an overall winner is also named.
This year's winners were RJ Macedo, Jarrod Hemann, Analiese Cremers, Peyton Stromik, Jakob Major, Catalina Pike and Michael Schaeffer. The overall winner was Ryan Potawsky.
Parents and students heard from several speakers including Birgit Ager, principal; Morgan Sprott, commanding School Resource Officer; Laurie J. Gaylord, superintendent; Rebecca Negron, school board member, Deputy Williams and attorney Schmitt.