DARE Camp is held at the Boy’s Ranch in Hahira, Georgia in June and was started by the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office in 1989.    Each year, deputies from our office and other agencies throughout the state conduct a DARE Camp for the children at the Boy’s Ranch to teach them about the pressures of drugs/alcohol and dealing with their peers.  Many of these children have been abused, abandoned and neglected.  In addition to the class time, the officers interact with the children by doing team building activities and setting aside time for fun activities such as swimming, fishing and sports.

The camp has expanded over the years to include fun trips for the children.  We have taken them to Itchetucknee Springs in Florida to float down the river, fishing trips and cookouts at private ponds, and even had a trip to the Aquarium in Atlanta.  These trips were made possible by money raised through projects like our Poker Run.  In recent years we have been able to include a Carnival with fun and games, rides, and an American Idol Boy’s Ranch Style competition.

It has been our pleasure to provide these activities for the children.  We have been greatly assisted in this endeavor by the valued support of the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office and the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office as well as other agencies around the state.