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Face the Fall Without Alcohol event- Positive Results
The sunrise, followed by a blue sky with white, fluffy clouds floating over the snow covered landscape, was beautiful, but the voice of the early morning news anchor brought a dose of reality. "All Minot Public Schools are closed today. No classes will be held at Minot State University. Highway 83 South is closed to all traffic. No travel is advised in the Minot area." While the work and planning for such an event requires a lot of effort, and the long-term impact is not easily determined, the investment in the lives of young people will have a positive result. Seeing a problem and doing nothing is not an option. What can you do to positively impact the culture around you? As we work together we can make a difference in North Dakota - even if the weather doesn't always cooperate!
For those of us who had planned, worked, and anticipated the ‘Face the Fall Without Alcohol' event to be held on Friday, November 7, 2008, this was disheartening news. The problem was that the snow, rain, and wind of the preceding 24 hours had left the roads with a thick coat of uneven ice, snow, and dense drifts. Should the event be cancelled? The final decision was in the hands of the members of the Minot Police Department, under the umbrella of Safe Communities, who had to get permission to be involved. When that was granted, we decided to go ahead with the event as planned.
The goal of ‘Face the Fall Without Alcohol' is to empower parents and teens to prevent underage drinking. The evening, from 6:30-9 P.M., is geared to students in grades 7-10 and their parents. Free food, games, giveaways, Guitar Hero Tournament, DJ music, a booth run by the Minot Police Department, and a motivational speaker kept the kids engaged and having fun.
This is the second year that ‘Face the Fall Without Alcohol' has been held at Sleep Inn, Dakota Square, in Minot. Arlene Castleman and Virginia Dohms co-chaired the planning committee, and Sergeant Margie Zeitz of the Minot Police Department provided ideas and many of the games. Other community groups and businesses joined in to help in planning and promotion: Minot Chapter of the North Dakota Family Alliance; Sleep Inn, Dakota Square; Safe Communities; Character Counts; Dale W. Dohms, Dentist; Wal-Mart; First Assembly of God; First Presbyterian; Burdick Job Corp; American Bank; Marketplace Foods; and Dakota Square Burger King, Taco Johns, and Tesoro.
From the moment the first enthusiastic volunteers arrived, we knew the decision to go ahead was right. With over 40 volunteers from Central Campus, Bishop Ryan High School, Burdick Job Corp, Chi Alpha, and local churches, we were ready for the guests to arrive. Over 145 people attended the event in spite of the treacherous condition of the roads. This year's speaker was Jeff Warner, of Ultimate Strength, from Minneapolis, MN. Mr. Warner is a former professional athlete and a Guinness World Record holder in several strong man events. His clear message that "alcohol doesn't solve problems, it creates problems" comes out of personal experience. He grew up an abusive home, had athletic success without direction, and tells how the "mess of my life became a message." Everyone attending left with a clear understanding that they can prevent the problems that come with illegal alcohol use and abuse.
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