DARE Fair almost sunk with Fish Fry ship

Deepa Bharath

NEWPORT-MESA -- When the Lions Club called off the Fish Fry this year,

the decision disappointed thousands of locals who grew up with the

57-year-old event.

It also almost disappointed around 2,000 sixth- and seventh-graders

from Newport-Mesa Unified School District when their annual DARE Fair,

which usually rode piggyback on the Fish Fry, was placed on shaky ground

this year.

For more than 10 years the fair was held the day after the Fish Fry

ended. That way, the children, who had gone through the Drug Abuse

Resistance Education Program for a semester, could enjoy the carnival

rides remaining from the event and they already had a location.

But when the organizers of the Fish Fry suddenly canceled it April 18

because of a disagreement with Orange Coast College, which had hosted the

event for the last two years, DARE Fair was left without a location.

Police officers who teach students about the harmful effects of

alcohol and drugs year-round, had to scramble not only to get enough

money to pay for the rides, but also to find sponsorship for the food.

“It was a last-ditch effort,” said Newport Beach Police DARE officer

Michelle Shean. “We didn’t have the budget for it. I guess we just

weren’t prepared for it.”

Shean said the event scheduled for June 5 will cost about $15,000 --

money that is now being raised by the two police departments and the

PTAs. With just about two weeks left, the organizers are still deciding

between Newport Dunes and Davis School in Costa Mesa.

“It’s a lot of work,” said Newport Beach parent Mary Tully. “This is a

great event for the kids. It gets them all excited.”

The fair is a “celebration” of all the work put in by the students,

officers and parents -- a celebration of their successful partnership to

keep kids off drugs, Shean said.

“I’ve only been a DARE officer one year,” she said. “But I’ve talked

to high school kids who’ve been through the program and they all remember

the fair. It makes an impression.”

The fair also helps kids realize that every day thousands of children

face the same challenges as they do, Shean said.

“This way they have a good time and remember they’re not alone,” she

said. “This might be a hard thing for us to do. But we just don’t want to

leave the kids high and dry.”

If you are interested in helping out with the DARE Fair, call Shean at

(949)874-4917.