This month, the Raanana Municipality and the Al Sam Association will mark 20 years of the Al Sam Raanana branch’s activity, with a fundraising evening, the proceeds of which will be dedicated to expanding its preventative activity in Raanana.

The event will be attended by Mayor Nahum Hofree and his Deputy Mayor, Attorney Orit Sayad Yitzchaki.  The evening will include a play starring Adi Bielski, entitled “An Israeli Love Story”.  The event will be held on Monday, 10.5.10, at the HaMishkan Municipal Center for Music and Art.  Doors open at 20:00 and the performance will commence at 20:30.

The Raanana Municipality invests a great deal of resources in raising the awareness of students and parents with regard to the dangers involved in the use of addictive and dangerous substances.  Along these same lines, the municipal education system sustains full, extensive and comprehensive cooperation with Al Sam and implements a variety of programs starting with students in elementary school up to high school.  These include:  workshops for parents, parlor meetings and visits to entertainment spots, lectures and workshops at school, cooperation with the Department for Youth Advancement, instruction in unique classes - such as classes of new immigrants.

Moreover, the municipality and Al Sam welcome and respond positively to various new initiatives on this subject introduced by the schools and the parents. 

The fundraising evening and the money raised are dedicated to continuing to expand the municipality’s and Al Sam’s successful activity in the community and its efforts to enlist large sectors of the population to become involved and active in fighting the phenomenon of addiction among youth and young adults.

Mayor Nahum Hofree:  “Coping with addictions among adolescents and young adults is at the top of our list of municipal priorities and requires us to enlist the help of the entire community, along with the professionals in the municipal education, treatment and enforcement systems.”

Deputy Mayor Attorney Orit Sayad Yitzchaki, Chair of the Municipal Committee for the Struggle Against Drugs:  “The municipal activity, which devotes resources and has supported Al Sam’s activity for years, is unprecedented.  I would like to take this opportunity to thank the many volunteers at Al Sam, who work with consistency and devotion and over the years, have contributed to raising the community’s awareness with regard to the need to handle this problem and reduce its prevalence.”