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Support E.J. and Tobi!

Introducing E.J. Rossi and his daughter Tobi: Our contestants for the 2017 Friends of the Atascadero Library Dancing With Our Stars.

All monies raised by E.J. and Tobi will go to support an Atascadero Unified School District mentoring program between high school and middle school students that will empower students to maintain a Drug-Free Lifestyle.

​You can help!

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I am incredibly excited to participate in the 8th annual Dancing with Our Stars (DWOS) event on March 23, 24, and 25, 2017.  I found great joy in being able to participate in the inaugural DWOS 8 years ago as we kicked off the amazing efforts to build the beautiful Atascadero Library we all now enjoy.  As the Library has come to fruition, and the DWOS event has shifted its focus to supporting other non-profits in their efforts in our community. I am thrilled to partner with the Greyhound Foundation’s Lighthouse Drug Education Program as they fund a new Atascadero Unified School District student mentoring program.

Through this new DWOS structure, all proceeds LIGHTHOUSE and I raise will go directly to fund this new drug prevention mentoring program! 

Atascadero Unified School District is establishing a mentor program between high school and middle school that will empower students to maintain a Drug-Free Lifestyle.  High School Mentors will develop skills and strategies with middle school students in the areas of:

1. Volunteering
2. Acting Responsible
3. Showing Appreciation
4. Making Time for Family
5. Helping at Home
6. Having Friends that are Drug Free

This mentoring program will focus on bringing awareness to the issues and pressures of drugs and alcohol and will work to develop skills in our students to assist them in abstaining from drug and alcohol use.  The program will also work to help students in grades 6, 7, & 8 that have been identified as in need of support from positive peers.  High School students will receive rigorous training by Atascadero Unified School District, Candle Inc., and other professional outside resources, and will then be closely overseen by an Atascadero Unified School District employee during the mentoring process.  The education of the dangers of drug use and the skills and strategies to avoid them is a very critical area of need for our middle school youth and one that we believe we must take action to address.
 
The Lighthouse Drug Education Program has committed themselves to raise the funds needed to establish and support this program and funds generated through the DWOS event will be specifically targeted for this AUSD Mentoring Program.  Starting a new program such as this proposed mentoring program requires an initial level of funding that is much higher in the first two years of existence.  This initial expenses include funding staff to attend training, the cost to provide student mentor training, contracting with outside services to provide advanced level supports as needed, a large initial cost for the materials and supplies needed during program inception, and publicity to advertise the expanded services to students, staff, and parents.  
Just as with dancing and mentoring, you need a partner to be successful.  I am reaching out to you to ask you to partner with us by voting for me this year.  Checks should be made payable to the Greyhound Foundation and can be for any amount in increments of $5.  I have attached a form with additional information for you to review.

As you may know, the champions at the event are not the best dancers, but the people who bring in the most votes when the pre-event votes and the votes at the event are counted. For every $5 I raise prior to the event, I will receive one vote. At the event, votes cost $10 each. In past years, the dancer with the most votes received before the event often becomes the champion.  The most exciting part to me with this new shift in support, is the middle school youth will be the true champions as we start this new mentoring program.  

I hope I can count on your votes!

— E.J.​