| SADD Brings a Little Happiness to the Community |
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Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) at Shelton Relay for Life
Like many communities across the country, Mason County, Washington is no stranger to youth faced with making potentially destructive decisions.
With 24% of Mason County teens reporting that they started smoking before they turned 13 years old, the Shelton’s chapter of Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) has made it their mission to bring a little happiness to their community by decreasing that number by 3% through early prevention presentations and awareness campaigns. However, underage tobacco use is not all that they fight against.
The national organization SADD (once called Students Against Drunk Driving) began in the early 80’s to combat underage drunk driving. With the ever growing threats and distractions teens are faced with today, they expanded their mission to include texting while driving, violence, suicide, tobacco use and all destructive behaviors that are harmful to youth.
With 24% of Mason County teens reporting that they started smoking before they turned 13 years old, the Shelton’s chapter of Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) has made it their mission to bring a little happiness to their community by decreasing that number by 3% through early prevention presentations and awareness campaigns. However, underage tobacco use is not all that they fight against.
The national organization SADD (once called Students Against Drunk Driving) began in the early 80’s to combat underage drunk driving. With the ever growing threats and distractions teens are faced with today, they expanded their mission to include texting while driving, violence, suicide, tobacco use and all destructive behaviors that are harmful to youth.
Gerry Apple, SADD Club Advisor, giving presentation at Bordeaux Elementary
These extraordinary youth are led by club advisor Gerry Apple (right). Mr. Apple -- as his students call him -- is unassuming, humble and quiet. You would never suspect the contribution he has made to the youth of Mason County since 1985. In fact, most of us will never know the full impact that his dedicated forty years of teaching and public service has had on this small community. However, in the past few years, he and his students have made a very loud impact not only in the local community but also the national community. In 2012, Mr. Apple received the National Road Safety Foundation’s 2013 Teacher Excellence Award. In 2008, Lt. Governor Owen presented Mr. Apple and the Shelton SADD Club with the Washington State Exemplary Youth Project Award. In explaining their mission, Mr. Apple also sums up the last 40 years of his life, “The SADD Club deals with anything a teenager might be faced with, but we try to put in an element of community service, so that (teens) learn giving is more important than receiving.”
The SADD Club has been a recipient of privately funded grant to produce a video on distracted driving. They also produced another video on texting while driving and presented it at a local law enforcement breakfast. The video earned the club yet another award “for their effort during the 2010-11 school year, [which] earned top honors in the ‘impact’ category during the 2012 Spring Forum at Great Wolf Lodge in Grand Mound, Washington.”
When they are not producing and presenting videos to government officials and fellow students, they are participating in community events to raise awareness such as a community barbeque at a local elementary school; participating in a local Relay for Life community event and giving presentations at school assemblies. Also, in May 2013, they were featured in a King 5 News story on texting and driving. Whatever they are doing, they are making a huge impact on their community.
The SADD Club has been a recipient of privately funded grant to produce a video on distracted driving. They also produced another video on texting while driving and presented it at a local law enforcement breakfast. The video earned the club yet another award “for their effort during the 2010-11 school year, [which] earned top honors in the ‘impact’ category during the 2012 Spring Forum at Great Wolf Lodge in Grand Mound, Washington.”
When they are not producing and presenting videos to government officials and fellow students, they are participating in community events to raise awareness such as a community barbeque at a local elementary school; participating in a local Relay for Life community event and giving presentations at school assemblies. Also, in May 2013, they were featured in a King 5 News story on texting and driving. Whatever they are doing, they are making a huge impact on their community.
SADD Club member Natalie "Tally" Moss giving a presentation at Bordeaux Elementary on tobacco use
“Our Community is trying to become better and Shelton as a whole is trying to become better and SADD Club is really helping out with that,” says SADD Club member Natalie “Tally” Moss (left).
While the focus of the Shelton SADD Club is to better their community through prevention, training and awareness campaigns, they also focus on their membership. It is 50 members strong and the students themselves run this organization and get to learn and exercise valuable leadership skills. They are a self governing organization with their own elected officers and they learn presentation skills all under the guidance of Mr. Apple.
While the focus of the Shelton SADD Club is to better their community through prevention, training and awareness campaigns, they also focus on their membership. It is 50 members strong and the students themselves run this organization and get to learn and exercise valuable leadership skills. They are a self governing organization with their own elected officers and they learn presentation skills all under the guidance of Mr. Apple.
Former SADD Club president Breanna Atwell at Relay for LIfe
“I loved being involved with SADD Club,” says former student president and outgoing member Breanna Atwell (below). “The first year I started, I went to a bike safety event to teach little kids how to do it, I was like wow, this is amazing. I can’t believe teenagers are taking their time out of high school to go teach little kids. I have never met anyone like this.”
Thankfully this community has the dedicated teens of SADD Club and thankfully this community has the dedicated guidance of Mr. Apple. As for the years to come and what is next for the SADD Club, Mr. Apple says he is not quite ready to pass the torch but he hinted that it might not be that far off. He still has a lot to ahead of him, he has taken the students on various field trips around the country. The club is planning on a trip this summer in the northeast to learn and carry their message across the country. Mr. Apple remains focused on the future and says, “Next years leaders will play a very important role in whatever they do. I see them all playing a very important role as positive people -- they gain that from giving while they are younger."
Statistics from Mason County Board of Health
Group photo from Shelton Relay for Life
Thankfully this community has the dedicated teens of SADD Club and thankfully this community has the dedicated guidance of Mr. Apple. As for the years to come and what is next for the SADD Club, Mr. Apple says he is not quite ready to pass the torch but he hinted that it might not be that far off. He still has a lot to ahead of him, he has taken the students on various field trips around the country. The club is planning on a trip this summer in the northeast to learn and carry their message across the country. Mr. Apple remains focused on the future and says, “Next years leaders will play a very important role in whatever they do. I see them all playing a very important role as positive people -- they gain that from giving while they are younger."
Statistics from Mason County Board of Health
Group photo from Shelton Relay for Life
