Stewartville 6th grader throws first pitch at today’s Twins game

Stewartville Middle School sixth grade student Gloria Nelson has been selected as the
First Place winner in a statewide Minnesota D.A.R.E. poster contest. Gloria Nelson will be joined by her family and .D.A.R.E. Officer, Olmsted County Deputy Sheriff
Dan Johnson while she throws one of the Ceremonial First Pitches before today's Minnesota Twins/Kansas City game. The game will have D.A.R.E. kids and officers from across Minnesota for the Annual  Minnesota Twins D.A.R.E. game.

Also selected and from Stewartville Middle School as an Honor Mention winner is
Dominique Thomley. Dominique will receive an assortment of D.A.R.E. gear for her
selection.

Gloria’s parents are Bill and Amy Nelson of Stewartville. Dominique’s parents are Troy
and Barb Thomley also of Stewartville.

The D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program is a crime prevention program
taught in elementary and middle schools across the country. The Olmsted County
Sheriff’s Office D.A.R.E. program began in 1989 in Stewartville, Byron and Dover-Eyota
school districts. Through the 1990’s the program was delivered to the parochial schools in
Rochester. Currently the program is thriving in the Byron, Stewartville and Dover-Eyota
school districts.