HARROD — Allen East administrators quickly learned just how big it was when the Allen East Students Against Destructive Decisions chapter was named the National Chapter of the Year May 10.
“I told him it was the equivalent of all the members of a wrestling team winning state,” said Allen East SADD adviser Kelly Pritchard. “It is the biggest honor you can get in the world of SADD.”
The group will be officially honored at the SADD National Conference June 26 to 29 in Pittsburgh. The group will receive $500 for the designation to help them with future programming. The group also placed second nationally with the National Activity of the Year for its “Parents On Our Side” activity, netting the group another $250 for programming.
The group was chosen from more than 300 groups in Ohio and more than 10,000 nationwide.
“We are doing positive things for both our school and the surrounding community,” said Allen East SADD member Katie Thaxton, 16. “This is something we need to keep going.”
Pritchard said the Allen East group students should be commended for what they do.
“These kids sometimes can lose friends because they stand up and say no,” Pritchard said. “They stand up for what they believe is right. They are very excited about this award.”
The Allen East chapter carries the motto “You are either part of the problem or part of the solution.” The programs they put on throughout the year focus on a variety of problems, including traffic safety, substance abuse and personal health and safety. Now that they are national champions, Pritchard said the group would like to land a corporate sponsor to help out.
“They will be going into the new school year as national champs, and we would like to do some workshops,” Pritchard said.
Allen East SADD member Madison Brown, 15, said the award is important to the group because they know they are getting the message across.
“It is nice, but it isn’t about the award,” Brown said. “We are just trying to make a difference. It means a lot. We work really hard to show people there is always a consequence for your decisions and what can really happen.”
Both Brown and Thaxton will travel to the national conference with Pritchard in June to accept the award.
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