Central Collegiate’s Students Against Distracted Driving (SADD) club has purchased a new outdoor sign that its members hope will influence motorists of all ages to drive safely at Christmas and all year round.
The club spent all of the 2022-23 school year finalizing the project and raising enough funds to purchase the billboard. It was only at the end of June when the group received the sign, which meant students had to wait until September before they could start creating messages.
“It took a while to make it happen. But the whole idea was that the whole community should be (more) aware,” said teacher-advisor Andrea Darychuk. “We want to reach as many people as possible and to model safe driving (for beginner drivers) because it is all a community issue … .
“That sign, that was our focus (last year). That was really a special thing to afford that and build that … .”
Club president Faith Belindy thought it was amazing to have the sign and to use it to communicate a positive message to the public, while it was also a good feeling that the club’s efforts had paid off.
“It’s big and it can get people’s attention,” she said. “(It was) definitely a lot of planning and fundraising throughout the school year last year.”
The club plans to change the messages regularly, although it will keep the same directives throughout Christmas. Belindy noted that the SADD chapter wants people to drive safely this festive season because people sometimes “go off the rails” with their consumption activities while having fun with friends and family.
The Grade 12 student joined the club in Grade 10 and has remained committed to the cause for the past three years.
“I don’t want people to be distracted while they drive because it is very dangerous and a lot of people can get hurt that way. And a lot of people can die from car accidents,” Belindy said. “… (that) can be avoided by just putting your (phone) away.”
The club president added that if residents plan to attend a party, they should think ahead and find a reliable ride so they can have a safe and merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Club activities
Normally, Central’s SADD chapter would be engaging in awareness campaigns and bringing in speakers to remind students to drive safely and put away all distractions, but the group hasn’t done as much of that this year, said Darychuk.
Instead, the club has focused mainly on holding fundraising activities such as bake sales and candy jar guessing contests to help refill its bank account after spending most of its money to buy the sign, she continued. They hope to bring in more speakers and attend conferences once they have the money.
Another issue the group is facing is it has only eight members compared to the usual 12 to 15, which makes doing things more difficult, Darychuk noted. Moreover, the group is mostly composed of younger students, which means there isn’t as much leadership to provide direction as there should be.
However, she added that the group has started a couple of social media accounts to communicate with students and the public, which will include standing in front of the sign and verbally discussing ways to avoid distracted driving.
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