On Tuesday, Park Hill High School's SADD group (which stands for "Students Against Destructive Decisions") held their "Arrive Alive" event. The parking lot was full of students, teachers, administrators, emergency personnel, & community volunteers, all united by one purpose: to drive home the importance of "arriving alive". There were tables with wristbands, pens, cups, etc, all with similar messages: don't text & drive, stay safe & sober, buckle up.

Interactive exhibits were quite popular, like the tricycle course, where the high-schoolers (and their brave principal, Dr. Brad Kincheloe) attempted to ride through a course while looking at their phones, & driving & walking while wearing beer goggles. 

There was the "Seat Belt Convincer", where a strapped-in occupant, moving downhill at 5mph, received quite a jolt as the "ride" came to an abrupt stop.

Perhaps the most "sobering" of the displays was the crash scene, complete with fire trucks, an ambulance, "victims", & emergency personnel. The firefighters used a variety of tools to remove car parts in an effort to get to the victims trapped inside the smashed vehicles. Some were strapped to backboards & stretchers & loaded into the ambulance. Others required a sheet & body bag, communicating further the tragic consequences of drinking & driving, or texting & driving.

I can only imagine the countless hours put in to planning & organizing this event by SADD leader Ellen Reys and her students, but after being there, I can definitely say it was worth it -- a HUGE "thank you" to all who were involved. None of this is new to the majority of teens, who have probably grown up hearing it over & over. However, with Prom season upon us, & graduation parties right around the corner, it is a message worth repeating: Arrive Alive!

To view more photos from this event, please head over to the "PHHS SADD Arrive Alive 2014" gallery under "Photos", or click this link:  http://www.uniqueperspectivephoto.com/p654486947