Students raise drunk driving awareness through Operation: Prom Promise

The Latest Local News from the Rome News

A group at Rome High School is working with Rome police to spread the word about the dangers of drunk driving as the school’s prom approaches.

The student-led group Teens in the Driver Seat helped organize the first Operation: Prom Promise program at the school, which included a series of activities on Thursday and Friday.

“This is about outreach,” senior KiWan Thrash said. “It means saving lives and preventing injuries.”

Thrash, a corps commander with the Rome High School Air Force Junior ROTC, said they have students in the group who have been personally affected by wrecks caused by drunk drivers.

Some seniors were selected Friday to be part of a “ghost-out,” where they were be pulled out of their classes and announced as having died in an incident involving drinking or drugs.

The students had their face painted white and were asked to be as silent as possible for the rest of the day while wearing a sign telling how they died.

Thrash worked with Rome police Lt. Chris DeHart to bring the entire program together.

“It is a realistic experience of what it is like to lose a classmate,” DeHart said.

Teens in the Driver Seat had computers set up in the cafeteria to allow students to view stories on the Faces of Drunk Driving website .

“It can be very powerful to see the pictures and read the stories of those who have been injured by drunk driving incidents,” Thrash said.

After they checked out the site, the students pledged to take a stand against drunk driving and were entered into a raffle for gift cards and USB car chargers.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving victims advocate Lisa Whitfield spoke to the senior class about how her stepdaughter was killed in a wreck involving a drunk driver.

“I hope it has brought a very realistic idea of what this does to you, your family, and the people you know,” DeHart told to the students afterwards. “We hope you make the right decision to not drive drunk and put your loved ones in this terrible position.”

Rome High’s prom is set for 8 p.m. April 18 at The Forum.

Source: Rome News

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