DANIEL TYLER GOODEN / L’Observateur / May 9, 2000

LAPLACE – St. John the Baptist Parish high school students thankedsponsors during a luncheon Wednesday for helping them promote and strive for a drug free environment at their schools.

Involved in the Parish Area Students Systematically Eliminating Drugs program, the students from East St. John, Riverside, Reserve Christian, St.Charles Catholic and West St. John high schools rose to share what thePASSED program had done for them and their schools.

East St. John student Heidi Schumm reported that over the last school yeardrug tests were given to 125 athletes and “all 125 passed due to the PASSED program.””We would like to thank all who sponsored us. Kids and teens learn byexample, and your sponsoring showed that the community is there for us and the students have seen that you care for us a lot,” said Amber Keller of Reserve Christian.

The students expressed that PASSED helped instill pride in themselves and others.

“When you see these kids as the next president, local business owner or lawyer you’ll know that a part of their success is yours for supporting them,” said Lt. Michael Hoover of the St. John Parish Sheriff’s Office.The sheriff’s department has sponsored the PASSED program for the last 14 years. The program has been supported in the high schools as a way toprovide positive benefits for refusing drugs. After taking a urine analysistest a passing student receives a member card which entitles them to free and discounted items and services in the local community. The program helpsthe students realize that “you fit in when you don’t use drugs,” said Hoover.

“I’d like to commend Reserve Christian for making it a requirement for enrollment to take the drug test,” said Chief Harold Kliebert. “They give 100percent, and we hope to expand the program to include all schools giving the same effort.”Various sponsoring groups, including Delta Beverage and attorney Jack Carville III, were given awards for their dedication to the program. Hooverclosed the luncheon reminding the group that “you don’t just do this for us, you do it for them and they’re our investment in the future.”

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