John Paul II's SADD group held their annual Students Against Drinking and Driving week.
The week was organized by the dedicated students and staff members of SADD.
March 1, SADD members Paige Parnitsky, Hanna Turcotte, Kyla Foulds and Karigan Prescesky painted a mural of a tree without leaves in a hallway on the first floor of the school.
SADD week began on March 5th, and for 25 cents, students could dip their hand in brightly coloured paint and make a handprint on the tree. After multiple handprints, the tree began to look as if it had multicolored leaves. The mural serves as a contract for life; a promise to never drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Every Tuesday, students attend a brief class called "Period 2.5,." which rests in between Period 2 and Period 3. Every 2.5 class has a broad range of students, from Grades 8 to 12. During Period 2.5 on Tuesday, March 6, students were given a short quiz on drinking and driving. Some students were shocked at the answers to questions such as "How many people are killed due to drunk driving accidents daily?" and "How many people are killed due to drunk driving accidents throughout Canada?"
March 7, SADD members participated in "Don't be a sucker - Don't drink and drive." Throughout the day, SADD members handed out suckers to students around the school to promote safe driving. "Save your life or the lives of others by choosing to plan a safe ride home and not drink and drive," said SADD president Paige Parnitsky.
SADD members also spent a portion of time in the morning preparing for Whiteout March 8. Whiteout is an activity that involves SADD members coming up with stories as to how they were killed by drunk drivers and dressing up in completely black clothes with their faces painted white to represent a victim of a drunk driving incident.
The members involved came to school early that morning to paint their faces, and make posters that told their death story. During the school day, the "dead" students would stop in classrooms and hold up their posters for the class to read. The activity had an amazing impact on students throughout the school, and won't be forgotten.
March, SADD Week wrapped up with a bake sale. Cupcakes and cotton candy were sold from the home economics room during the lunch hour. Many SADD members brought in cupcakes to be sold and Hanna Turcotte's family made a large batch of cotton candy to be sold as well. The profits from the bake sale are being used to help pay for SADD conference costs for members to attend, and a portion of the profits were given to the Turcotte family for making the cotton candy.
Overall, SADD week was a complete success. John Paul II students and staff were given an unforgettable week that spread drinking and driving awareness throughout.
