Friday, November 25, 2005
Estrada committed to drug-free kids
11/15/2005
ATLANTA -- A key part of catcher Johnny Estrada's job is protecting home plate from unwelcome intruders. On the field and off, there is no more unwelcome intruder in Estrada's life than drugs.
On Tuesday afternoon at Turner Field, Estrada helped reward the fifth-grade class of Harmony Leland Elementary School in Mableton, Ga., for the successful completion of the 10-week D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program, which will help the kids defend themselves from the unwelcome intrusion of drugs.
Estrada's commitment to keeping kids drug-free stems as much from his upbringing in rugged Hayward, Calif., as it does from being a father of three.
"It's always been a passion of mine," said Estrada of the No Drugs Foundation, which he started with his wife, Jennifer, more than two years ago. "I grew up in the inner city in the Bay Area. I saw a lot of drugs and gang violence. It could have been a part of my life, but I was lucky to have a mom and dad at home that were strict, and I had baseball to chase my dream and to stay away from it. I just want to pass that message on to kids."
Unfortunately, that message is one that the Estradas learned is not necessarily on the front burner when it comes to funding.
"We were very discouraged to hear that D.A.R.E. in Georgia is kind of going to the wayside because of funding," said Jennifer, who used to teach inner-city kids in Salisbury, N.C. "If we can take one community or one city and say, 'OK, here's the $15,000 a year you need to run the program and to pay the officer and get the kids the supplies,' we'd love to do that."
Harmony Leland became the beneficiary of a serendipitous alliance between Sprint and the No Drugs Foundation, which was looking to make inroads in the war on drugs.
"Sprint is one of our partners in education, and Johnny actually approached Sprint and said he wanted to do something with drug awareness for students who were at high risk," said Hermia Simmons-Deveaux, the principal of Harmony Leland. "We are a Title One school, and Sprint asked us if we would be willing to partner and offer this program to our students. We definitely wanted the opportunity to help our students become more aware of the importance of saying 'no' to drugs. We wanted to take advantage of that. It was just a wonderful opportunity, and we took advantage of it."
Just how high-risk Mableton was surprised Estrada.
"The first day that I met with these kids, I stopped for gas on the way home, and I was offered drugs," he said. "This guy tried to sell me cocaine, leaving the school after talking with these kids. I knew I was in the right area. It's out there. As soon as these kids walk outside those school doors, it's out there."
But that run-in didn't discourage him. Instead it added fuel to his fire to teach kids the importance of making the proper decision.
"Our kids, especially at this age -- they're in fifth grade -- [are] about to go to middle school, and they are exposed to a lot of different things, and there is a lot of peer pressure," said Simmons-Deveaux. "This is a wonderful opportunity for them to really see celebrities talking to them and helping them understand the significance of avoiding drugs, doing the right thing, making wise choices, so that they can be better prepared for the future."
The Marietta, Ga., police department also played a major role. Officer Charles Willix, who has been in law enforcement since 1978 and has been specializing in the D.A.R.E. curriculum since it was adopted in his town in 1999, ran the 10-week session. He believes that the session with Estrada ranks among the most memorable of his career.
"They had a wonderful 10 weeks," said Willix. "The things that they did [including the D.A.R.E. workbook and an essay about the importance of the program] and the design of everything is right along with the program that Johnny has, the No Drugs Foundation. We paired up, and it was a perfect blend. Because of that, we were able to make something that he wanted to do happen in a school that we normally would not reach. We want to continue that success by continuing to work with Mr. Estrada and with his foundation and bringing the D.A.R.E. program and other programs like that into these other areas [where] it's really needed.
"He's a superstar in my book, and in these children's book," he added. "In this day and time, where these athletes are so busy, they have so much on their plates and they've got their careers to worry about, just to have someone like him to take the time with these children and spend the time that he has means everything to them. They'll never forget this day."
The day, which began with a walk through the Braves Museum, continued with a tour of Turner Field and concluded with lunch in the Hank Aaron Room, is a small first step compared with the potential strides the kids made by passing the program and learning information that could positively alter their lives.
"[The kids have] already had their rewards," said Estrada. "We had their graduation last week. They got their diplomas among a few other things from me and my foundation. They're getting the education, and hopefully, they can continue it. It's not a one-time thing. This is something they have to stick with the rest of their lives. The temptation is always going to be there, so hopefully, they can educate themselves and keep up afterward. I think [D.A.R.E.] is something that we need in every public school."
The funding problem also may soon be alleviated.
"Many people have already contacted us and said, 'Whatever you need, we're there,' " said Jennifer. "We hope to do it every semester in the fall and in the spring with the kids and see how it goes."
Source: http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/
ATLANTA -- A key part of catcher Johnny Estrada's job is protecting home plate from unwelcome intruders. On the field and off, there is no more unwelcome intruder in Estrada's life than drugs.
On Tuesday afternoon at Turner Field, Estrada helped reward the fifth-grade class of Harmony Leland Elementary School in Mableton, Ga., for the successful completion of the 10-week D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program, which will help the kids defend themselves from the unwelcome intrusion of drugs.
Estrada's commitment to keeping kids drug-free stems as much from his upbringing in rugged Hayward, Calif., as it does from being a father of three.
"It's always been a passion of mine," said Estrada of the No Drugs Foundation, which he started with his wife, Jennifer, more than two years ago. "I grew up in the inner city in the Bay Area. I saw a lot of drugs and gang violence. It could have been a part of my life, but I was lucky to have a mom and dad at home that were strict, and I had baseball to chase my dream and to stay away from it. I just want to pass that message on to kids."
Unfortunately, that message is one that the Estradas learned is not necessarily on the front burner when it comes to funding.
"We were very discouraged to hear that D.A.R.E. in Georgia is kind of going to the wayside because of funding," said Jennifer, who used to teach inner-city kids in Salisbury, N.C. "If we can take one community or one city and say, 'OK, here's the $15,000 a year you need to run the program and to pay the officer and get the kids the supplies,' we'd love to do that."
Harmony Leland became the beneficiary of a serendipitous alliance between Sprint and the No Drugs Foundation, which was looking to make inroads in the war on drugs.
"Sprint is one of our partners in education, and Johnny actually approached Sprint and said he wanted to do something with drug awareness for students who were at high risk," said Hermia Simmons-Deveaux, the principal of Harmony Leland. "We are a Title One school, and Sprint asked us if we would be willing to partner and offer this program to our students. We definitely wanted the opportunity to help our students become more aware of the importance of saying 'no' to drugs. We wanted to take advantage of that. It was just a wonderful opportunity, and we took advantage of it."
Just how high-risk Mableton was surprised Estrada.
"The first day that I met with these kids, I stopped for gas on the way home, and I was offered drugs," he said. "This guy tried to sell me cocaine, leaving the school after talking with these kids. I knew I was in the right area. It's out there. As soon as these kids walk outside those school doors, it's out there."
But that run-in didn't discourage him. Instead it added fuel to his fire to teach kids the importance of making the proper decision.
"Our kids, especially at this age -- they're in fifth grade -- [are] about to go to middle school, and they are exposed to a lot of different things, and there is a lot of peer pressure," said Simmons-Deveaux. "This is a wonderful opportunity for them to really see celebrities talking to them and helping them understand the significance of avoiding drugs, doing the right thing, making wise choices, so that they can be better prepared for the future."
The Marietta, Ga., police department also played a major role. Officer Charles Willix, who has been in law enforcement since 1978 and has been specializing in the D.A.R.E. curriculum since it was adopted in his town in 1999, ran the 10-week session. He believes that the session with Estrada ranks among the most memorable of his career.
"They had a wonderful 10 weeks," said Willix. "The things that they did [including the D.A.R.E. workbook and an essay about the importance of the program] and the design of everything is right along with the program that Johnny has, the No Drugs Foundation. We paired up, and it was a perfect blend. Because of that, we were able to make something that he wanted to do happen in a school that we normally would not reach. We want to continue that success by continuing to work with Mr. Estrada and with his foundation and bringing the D.A.R.E. program and other programs like that into these other areas [where] it's really needed.
"He's a superstar in my book, and in these children's book," he added. "In this day and time, where these athletes are so busy, they have so much on their plates and they've got their careers to worry about, just to have someone like him to take the time with these children and spend the time that he has means everything to them. They'll never forget this day."
The day, which began with a walk through the Braves Museum, continued with a tour of Turner Field and concluded with lunch in the Hank Aaron Room, is a small first step compared with the potential strides the kids made by passing the program and learning information that could positively alter their lives.
"[The kids have] already had their rewards," said Estrada. "We had their graduation last week. They got their diplomas among a few other things from me and my foundation. They're getting the education, and hopefully, they can continue it. It's not a one-time thing. This is something they have to stick with the rest of their lives. The temptation is always going to be there, so hopefully, they can educate themselves and keep up afterward. I think [D.A.R.E.] is something that we need in every public school."
The funding problem also may soon be alleviated.
"Many people have already contacted us and said, 'Whatever you need, we're there,' " said Jennifer. "We hope to do it every semester in the fall and in the spring with the kids and see how it goes."
Source: http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/
