D.A.R.E. Camp teaches children valuable life lessons while keeping fun

The camp is organized by the Lee County Sheriff's Office

LEE COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – It is the season for summer camps, and participants at one camp are learning how to make wise choices while getting to know those who protect and serve.

Zalla McCaffrey came to D.A.R.E. Camp as a student, and for the past three years, the 17-year-old Saltillo High Senior has been a leader.

“I really enjoy I get to come to these kids who have never met me, usually, some of them I’ve had in previous years, but I get to love on them for a week, some need to be shown some extra love, I enjoy the fact I get to be part of that and get to love on them,” McCaffrey said.

And this year, McCaffrey’s sister is coming to D.A.R.E. Camp for the first time. 11-year-old Zoey Anderson said she has had a lot of fun, and learned a lot at the camp, organized by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.

“We’ve learned about self-control and we learned that with problems, and bad things, we learned some ways you could solve them,” Anderson said.

More than 60 kids attended D.A.R.E. Camp this week at Saltillo. The week before, D.A.R.E. Camp was held in Shannon.

Deputies helping at D.A.R.E. Camp are school resource officers. The camp gives the young people an opportunity to get to know those who protect their schools.

“The kids see a different side than what they see on TV, they’re out here playing with them and seeing a side of them that they’re human beings and they care about the kids, it builds up trust with law enforcement as a friend more than just an individual in a uniform,” said Lee County Sheriff Jim Johnson.

D.A.R.E. Camp wraps up next week in Mooreville.

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