Willow Cree SADD determined to make a difference this year

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The senselessness of drinking and driving is always most heavily publicized during the holiday season, when Christmas parties, New Year's festivities, and gatherings of friends and family often tempt people to overindulge. The underlying problem, however, does not conveniently disappear in January like a holiday hangover. While SGI and the province's many police forces must balance their seasonal anti-drinking and driving programs with other important public needs, dedicated volunteer organizations such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and Students Against Drinking and Driving (SADD) work diligently to deliver their message year round.

The SADD message is especially relevant in the province's Aboriginal communities, where the incidences of drinking and driving among the late-teen, early-twenties population remains high. On the Beardy's/Okemasis First Nation, a group of students from the Willow Cree Education Complex (WCEC) have responded to their community's need, and at the same time set a precedent they hope many other First Nations' schools will follow.

"We're the only band school in Saskatchewan to have a registered SADD Chapter," said Lois Cameron, a WCEC teacher and the staff advisor for the program. "Our goal is to save lives of people who die needlessly every year because of bad choices."

"Our teacher advisor, Mrs. Cameron, heard about SADD and decided to teach us about it in our Life Transition class," explained Monica Gardypie, the chapter's student advisor.

"About 16 students from our class were given the opportunity to attend the provincial SADD conference in Regina on Oct. 20 and 21, 2000. That's what motivated us to become campaigners for SADD in our community."

Though the WCEC SADD chapter has only been operating for a little over a year, it has already established itself as one of the most successful among the more than 130 currently registered in the province.

"Even though last year was our first year as a SADD chapter we have been very active," said Gardypie. "Our school won the Nicole Nakonechny Memorial Award last spring for being the most active SADD Chapter in Saskatchewan." The chapter was also honored with the Community Service Award at the recent Aboriginal Youth Awards of Excellence in Saskatoon.

Though the awards and recognition are certainly appreciated, it is the desire to help their community and people that motivates WCEC students in their many initiatives, which have included film and guest speaker presentations, essay and letter campaigns, and special theme days at their school.

"We hope to make a difference," Gardypie said simply. "We have several people in our group who have experienced the loss of very special people in their lives because of drinking and driving. One of our members lost a brother, and another lost an uncle. Those are two individuals who are still struggling today because of an avoidable tragedy. There are others as well."

The efforts of WCEC's SADD Chapter have even extended outside Saskatchewan.

'We were invited to make a presentation at Morley Education Centre in Alberta [in early November]," noted Cameron. "The community of Morley recently experienced a terrible tragedy. They lost three community members because someone decided to drink and drive and no one stopped him."

The stack of appreciative letters from Morley students provides ample proof of the presentation's success, and the WCEC SADD chapter intends to build on this experience in the coming year and continue to act as a model program for other reserve schools within and outside the province. The group has already laid out ambitious plans to visit many of their neighboring schools in the coming year, as well as to work more closely with the RCMP in discouraging underage alcohol consumption.

While the ultimate decision about drinking and driving will always remain with individual young people, the positive pressure and ongoing educational efforts of peer groups such as SADD can cerainly make a difference. The strength of character and spirit of self-sacrifice shown by WCEC students has provided a model for other schools throughout Saskatchewan. It is now up to these other schools to answer the call.

Additional information about the SADD program can be obtained by contacting the SADD Saskatchewan offices in Regina at (306) 757-5562, or by e-mail to sadd@dlcwest.com.