MADD MESSAGE AT TEULON ELEMENTARY

Presentation Gives Kids Lowdown On Drugs And Alcohol

Students of Teulon Elementary were treated to an enjoyable multimedia
presentation early Wednesday morning. Healthy Teulon, Teulon
Elementary Parents Advisory Council (TEPAC), and the Teulon Youth
Centre sponsored the event.

Healthy Teulon hosted a workshop on meth awareness last year, and
wanted to continue arming Teulon's children with knowledge about
avoiding drugs and alcohol.

"Through our investigations of how to promote drug awareness and
safety, we ran across the MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving)
presentation," says Shanda Warman of Healthy Teulon. The kids watched
a 35 minute video called MADD Scientist and the Quest for Power,
projected onto three large screens in the gymnasium.

The kids learned about helmets and the importance of protecting their
brains. RCMP Safety Bear helped teach them about proper conduct while
riding the bus or in a car.

The program featured stories of real kids who had real experiences
with drunk driving. A girl talked about the day she called police
when she suspected her school bus driver was drunk. Two brothers
spoke about how deceiving their parents about a drinking party had
led to the death of their 16 year-old brother.

A Canadian kayaker told the story of how he won an Olympic gold medal
through determination and avoiding drugs and alcohol. The founder of
the Save the Children organization recounted how he'd been inspired
to start working to improve the lives of children around the world
even though he himself was only a youngster, proving that kids have
the power to make a difference if they put in the effort.

Robb Nash, lead singer of the Winnipeg band Live on Arrival, has been
touring with the MADD presentation. Organizers in Teulon weren't
expecting him to be there, but with his group's music being played on
several local radio stations, the kids were thrilled to have him.

When he was young, Nash decided to get into a car with an
inexperienced friend. He and his friends went for a ride on an icy
day, and the driver lost control. The car struck an oncoming
semi-trailer, and Nash received a serious skull fracture.

He says paramedics did what they could, but his vital signs dropped,
and he died for a few moments.

"All of a sudden, my heart started beating and I came back to life," he said.

The incident gave him a new appreciation for life.

Nash performed his song "Another Second Chance" on acoustic guitar,
and said it was about how he regretted not being as nice as he could
have been to the people he knew in the face of near death. The
students responded with enthusiastic applause. Nash's appearance was
a welcome surprise.

"We weren't aware he was coming," says Warman.

The program itself was well presented, and the kids were engaged the
whole time they were in the gym.

"I really enjoyed it," Warman says. "They did a very good job
presenting a whole bunch of safety and values into a very short
period of time."

Healthy Teulon hosted a Dance a Thon last month to raise funds to
bring the MADD presentation to the elementary school.

Warman says Healthy Teulon plans to continue their efforts, and hopes
to bring the teen version of the presentation to Teulon Collegiate next year.