This first step to curbing a drug problem, whether it is heroin, alcohol or tobacco, is to just walk away. That is exactly what organizers of the 4th ANNUAL WALK AWAY FROM DRUGS hope will happen. The Community Action Drug Coalition (CADC) is inviting all businesses and individuals to join them in their mission to find solutions to the drug problem that is plaguing Porter County.

For the fourth year in a row, the CADC will host its WALK AWAY FROM DRUGS May 19 in downtown Valparaiso. Registration for this event will begin at 9 a.m. in front of the Courthouse on Lincolnway. An opening ceremony will kick off the walk at 10 a.m. Funds raised will support establishing a Pathway Family Center, a teen drug treatment facility, in Porter County.

Walkers and sponsors are encouraged to participate in this community event, which is designed to raise awareness, provide education and fight substance abuse. Corporate sponsorships are available starting at $250. Corporate sponsors pledging $1,000 or more will have their corporate logo featured on event T-shirts. As an added bonus, donors supporting the event for $1,000 or more will be listed on the Founder's Wall when the Pathway Family Center opens this fall. Individuals interested in walking or putting together a team of walkers are encouraged to collect pledges and pre-register by April 20. Pre-registration guarantees walkers a free event T-shirt. Pledge sheets, sponsorship and registration forms are available by contacting a CADC volunteer or at Harris Bank branches in Porter County.

The mission of the CADC is to serve as a conduit to reduce/eliminate drug abuse in Porter County by advocating prevention, treatment and education.

For more information about the CADC, WALK AWAY FROM DRUGS or Pathway Family Center, contact Mann Spitler at (219) 464-9588.

--The Times