Happy Red Ribbon Week!

The initial IT ONLY TAKES ONE campaign has concluded, with three groups winning top honors. To take part in this campaign, schools had to register in the fall. Then, students from 34 participating schools were presented a free t-shirt after submitting a completed parent-teen driving contract to their advisors. The t-shirts proved to be an effective tool to get students talking about the dangers of distracted driving, but many of the schools did not stop there. Students and advisors carried this message out into the community – with posters, thumb bands, belt checks, and other materials that sparked conversation between teens and adults about safe driving practices.   Almost 1700 students were impacted by the campaign across Missouri.

 For their participation, Campbell C2000 received 1^st place with a prize of $1,000, Platte County High School received 2^nd place with a prize of $750, and New Madrid County Family Resource Center received 3^rd place with a prize of $500. Campbell C2000 completed pre/post safety belt surveys, presented a distracted driving program to their high school and distributed It Only Takes One parent contracts and shirts to students in their community.  The coalition also wrote for funding for two large billboard signs for the city and school ballparks promoting their IT ONLY TAKES ONE message.  They have big plans for their award including a creating a float for the upcoming Campbell PeachFair Parade and hosting an information booth at the Peach Fair and at the Back To School Open House Event in Campbell.  MacKenzie Metheny, a student of the coalition, stated “This campaign has been extremely empowering for us because we have already seen that we are actually making a difference in our friends’ lives and their families’ lives!”

2015 IT ONLY TAKES ONE Campaign information and applications will be available through ACT Missouri in Fall 2014. The IT ONLY TAKES ONE campaign has been made possible by grants received from the Missouri Department of Transportation, Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety.

ACT Missouri is the statewide training and resource center for substance abuse prevention.  Through free trainings, brochures, and education, ACT Missouri works with all areas of the state to combat drug and alcohol abuse, especially among Missouri youth.  ACT Missouri also serves at the state representative for national organizations such as SADD and The Partnership at Drugfree.org.

Contact Information:
Chelsea Billeck
MYAA Project Director
ACT Missouri
428 E. Capitol Avenue
Jefferson City, MO  65101
(573) 635-6669
cbilleck@actmissouri.org