"Cause I'm so proud of you guys," Jordan Segundo said. "Everybody scream!"And that's just what 10,000+ kids did.
It's an amazing show of lights and entertainment at the D.A.R.E. day event in Manoa, but it's also a program with an anti-drug, anti-bullying message to the youngsters.
"But if they see their own peers as well as some of their role models saying you can't do this and not have adverse consequences it's a very positive message to reinforce," said Honolulu Mayor Peter Carlisle.
The message is still going to be around next school year, it's just not going to reach as many children.
"Well we're going to sustain this program because it's very important," said HPD Capt. Andy Lum, "not only to the kids, but to the department, and to the community. We are going to have to scale back unfortunately because of the tight fiscal restraints that we have right now."
According to HPD it takes about a million dollars a year to run the program in it's current form.
The cuts will be significant. This past school year the program took place in 158 public and private elementary schools. Next school year it will be reduced to just 41.
And HPD's staffing of the department will also be cut, from 12 officers to 6.
"We have to give our children information, we have to be role models," said Capt. Lum. "They have to learn, somebody has to teach them. And this is one way that we can do that."
All be it a smaller way. As for the program regaining any losses it may suffer.
"It's the economy. It's really tough to answer that question," Capt. Lum said. "We hope that factors will change and we will be able to reallocate more to such a wonderful program."
