In June of each year, graduates of the D.A.R.E. Le Mars 5th grade classes join graduates from the Plymouth County D.A.R.E. program for a wonder filled trip to Adventureland in Des Moines. The students and chaperones rise before dawn and meet at the Plymouth County Sheriff's Office to board chartered buses for a four hour ride to Adventureland.

The always well behaved and quiet kids have a breakfast of official police donuts and juice provided by D.A.R.E. and arrive in Des Moines full of energy.

Kids and chaperones alike wander the park with smiles on their faces; sometimes wet from the water rides and some holding tightly to hard won stuffed animals. The kids played games, ate pizza and ice cream, rode the mixer and the large coasters and survived the silly silo.

Late in the afternoon, everyone gathers at the front of the park to compare stuffed animals and prizes, stains on their shirts and stories of queasy stomachs and rides just barely survived.

When the time finally comes to say good-bye to the Park, the group gathers by the Train Depot for one last picture and one last look into Adventureland. As the bus starts to leave the Des Moines area the adventurous group starts to wind down and we began to realize just how lucky we were to have such a beautiful day at Adventureland.

As we made our way back to Le Mars it is found that the strongest of the group just keep going while the weaker ones (mostly chaperones) crashed and burned.

Our trips to Adventureland will be remembered for a long time to come as trips made by friends who share the great POWER to say NO to the abuse of Drugs such as Tobacco, Alcohol, and Marijuana.