Congressman Jim Davis will talk with the children, ranging in ages from 9 to 12, and their families at the ceremony which begins at 11 a.m. in the Base Theater near the MacDill Officers Club. Media should contact MacDill Public Affairs to arrange a base escort. Children participating in the camp live in the College Hill and USF area neighborhoods. Money to pay for DEFY mainly comes from a federal grant provided by the United States Department of Justice.
Additional funding comes from the sponsoring agencies.
After the kids complete the week of camp, the drug education doesn t end. Each child is matched with a mentor from one of the three camp sponsors who continue to work with the child for at least 10 months. This is an outstanding program and a wonderful opportunity for these children to know how much our community cares for them. MacDill and our two law enforcement agencies deserve tremendous credit for putting the camp together and recruiting the mentors who will help these youngsters get off to the right start, said Congressman Jim Davis.