SCIPIOVILLE - Anne Bassett has years of first-hand knowledge of how well students respond to the DARE program.

Bassett, a retired school bus driver for the Southern Cayuga school district, said the program was discussed often by students riding her bus.

“The program is a good thing because the kids are very aware of what is going on around them,” said Bassett during an annual fundraising pancake breakfast for the program held at the Scipio Fire Department in Scipioville, Sunday morning.

Bassett, who attended the breakfast with her twin granddaughters, Bethany and Brittany Kulas, 8, said that students would often ask her about the things they had learned through the program.

Bethany and Brittany's father, John Kulas, believes the DARE program makes a good impact in a child's life. He is glad that his own daughters have participated in it.

“It is a very positive program,” he said. “The kids respond to it better than we think that they do.”

For the past eight years, members of the Scipio Fire

Department have held the breakfast as a way to raise funds for the various DARE programs.

Proceeds from the breakfast are kept local to provide services such as school DARE lessons, positive incentives, and even T-shirts for Cayuga County students.

“It is our biggest fundraiser each year,” said Paul Benton. “We are very appreciative for all of the support that we receive.”

Benton, who is a sheriff's department resource officer at the Southern Cayuga schools, spent the morning providing free child safety ID cards.

In� addition to members of the Scipio Fire Department, the pancake breakfast was prepared and served by volunteers from the Cayuga County Sheriff's Department, Auburn Police Department, and students from Southern Cayuga and Moravia school districts.

Guests were also treated to a special appearance by McGruff the Crime Dog.

Mike Roden, of the APD, volunteered as McGruff at the breakfast so children would have the chance to meet the famous dog.

A raffle was also held various items donated by area merchants.