RUMFORD — About 84 excited fifth-grade students graduated Tuesday night from the Rumford Police Department’s Drug Abuse Resistance Education program.

Several also won cash prizes, grabbing the cash as it flew past them inside a vinyl wind tube on stage at Muskie Auditorium in Mountain Valley High School.

It was a debut event by Matt Kaubris of the Oxford Federal Credit Union in Mexico.

Additionally, DARE equipment that was raffled off was tossed to students by Rumford police Chief Stacy Carter and Sgts. Tracey Higley and Douglas Maifeld.

In between the prize raffles, Maifeld, a longtime DARE instructor, spoke about the program and introduced selected students whose DARE essays and colorful license-plate artwork were recognized.

Maine Attorney General Janet Mills, the guest speaker, traveled from Augusta to greet the students and talk about the DARE principles.

“I came all the way to Rumford to say special thanks to you because I know the hard work you put into this program,” Mills said. “And I know that you’ve taken great responsibility for learning an awful lot of things that a lot of people across the state are not learning as well as you are.”

She told the students they have learned the tools needed “to push back against violent behavior of all sorts, and I’m so, so proud of you.”

Mills said the joy of life is within each child.

“It’s not something you buy at a liquor store, it’s not something you put in your mouth and smoke or a pill that you put in your mouth to feel happy in some artificial way,” she said.

“What you’re learning in the DARE program is not just about enjoying life individually. It’s about enjoying life as a community, sticking together, helping one another. It’s good citizenship.”

Award-winning self-esteem license plate art selected was “LOVE2SING” by Kaylee Arsenault and “PA$$ION” by Angela Goodell, both of Meroby Elementary School in Mexico, and “2COOL4U” by Macala Billings and “ICANWIN” by Damien Arsenault, both of Rumford Elementary School.

Students who were selected to read their essays were Elissa DeTellis of Holy Savior Catholic School, Jesse Knowlton and Phoenix Hughes, both of Meroby Elementary, and Hailey Day and Abigail Gauvin, both of Rumford Elementary.

Knowlton said DARE classes taught him how to handle the stress caused by a family member’s death from liver disease due to alcohol use.

“This put so much stress on me because I was scared this might happen to me,” he said. “Thanks to DARE, I now know that it won’t.”

Gauvin said she dreams about becoming a lawyer when she grows up. This brought a smile to the face of Mills, who stood in the background, beaming as each child read their essays.

“I would love to help people prove they are not guilty or to prove somebody guilty to help make the world a better place,” Gauvin said.

Gauvin also shared thoughts on bullying by revealing she has been a victim.

Hughes said the DARE program “has taught me more about tobacco and alcohol than I thought I could even fit into my mind.”

Officials for each of five DARE classes at the three schools brought their students on stage, one class at a time.

Each got a hug or handshake from Sgt. Maifeld, and certificates and DARE product gifts and acknowledgement from Mills, Chief Carter, Oxford County Sheriff Wayne Gallant, Chief Deputy Hart Daley and Mexico Town Manager John Madigan.

“Kids, you make it fun,” Maifeld said afterward.

The program ended with a digital slide show of photographs of the youngsters enjoying school life.

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