Greetings!
Welcome to another issue of The SADDvocate! First off, a special thanks to everyone who participated in Best Buy's @15 Exchange. Read on for all the details plus announcements about new resources, other ways to support SADD, and more! Our goal is to ensure that every SADD chapter has the latest news, and we're counting on you to help spread the word about The SADDvocate. Please encourage your SADD chapter members to sign up on sadd.org, or send a list (spreadsheets preferred, with columns for first name, last name, and e-mail address) to Chris Egan, SADD's Director of Field Services, at cegan@sadd.org. As you may know, sometimes school computer filters prevent students and advisors from viewing The SADDvocate properly, in full color with graphics. You can see every issue in our online archive. This issue will be posted to the archive later today. A good source of regular SADD news is our Facebook page. Please "like" our page today, and encourage your friends to do so as well! Links to our social network pages are on the bar at left. |
 | Best Buy @15 - Thank You SADD Nation!
|  SADD students delivered more than 1.9 million points in Best Buy's @15 Exchange. Thanks for letting your voices be heard and making SADD your charity of choice!
We're also happy to announce the winners of our advisor and student contests. SADD Advisors Janet Pflum from Perry Meridian High School in Indiana, Elizabeth Oppedisano from Arlington High School in Massachusetts, and Richard Dixon from Seaford High School in Delaware each won $100 for involving the most students in this campaign, and Tori Rude from North Dakota was our $50 student winner for accumulating the most personal points. Congratulations to all our winners, and our heartfelt appreciation to everyone for such loyal support of SADD! The funds raised will help support a number of key programs and services.
|
| SADD Introduces New Parent Resources
|  SADD is proud to announce the launch of ParentTeen Matters, a new, informative website for parents and other caring adults. This new site explores timely issues critical to the health and safety of teens: underage drinking and other drug use, the challenges of teen driving, and parental empowerment in helping teens thrive.
 Visit parentteenmatters.org to find answers to commonly-asked questions, view the latest research, learn useful action steps, and acquire practical guidance. You can also sign up for the free monthly e-newsletter and we hope you'll let other parents in your community know about this valuable resource. Funding for this exciting new initiative was provided by the American Legion Child Welfare Foundation.
|
| Donate Your Car to Support SADD!
|
 We're pleased to announce that SADD has partnered with Car Donation Headquarters to accept used cars - virtually anywhere in the United States! Do you have a used car sitting in your yard, or are you about to trade in a car as you purchase a new one? You can donate any car - in any condition - and it will be towed away at no cost to you. The proceeds will help support SADD's work and mission, and you'll receive a tax deduction for your donation. Arranging to donate your car is quick and simple. Just call 1-888-543-9272 or visit saddcardonation.com. Please spread the word in your school and community, and to family and friends! |
| SADD Store - Now Open for Business!
| |
The brand-new SADD Store (located at saddstore.org) is now open for business! SADD has partnered with APIsource to offer this cutting-edge store, full of high-quality SADD-branded merchandise. Inside the store, you'll find apparel, gifts, giveaway items, and specials, with even more exciting features coming soon. Don't see what you need? Don't worry - you can special order just about anything!
Here's a special offer to celebrate the grand opening: order $250 of merchandise through the online saddstore.org and receive FREE ground shipping (expires March 31, 2011). To learn more, visit saddstore.org, call 1-888-608-6988, or e-mail sadd@apisource.com.
|
| Contests, Grants, and Awards | We are now accepting applications for the 2011 SADD College Scholarships. We're offering four $500 college scholarships to SADD students this year. The eligibility criteria follows. You must be ...
- A current senior in high school
- Attending a two or four-year college in the fall
- An American citizen
- Committed to living the SADD lifestyle (safe and substance-free)
- Part of a currently-registered SADD chapter, which means your chapter has filled out a registration form this school year and has a 2010-2011 Certificate of Chapter Registration (if not, ask your advisor to update now).
Are you eligible to apply? Then click here to obtain the application form. The application deadline is April 22, 2011.
 Ford's Driving Skills for Life program is sponsoring the annual "Belt It Out" song contest. You're invited, with up to four friends, to compose and create a video for an original song addressing the topic of distracted driving. The deadline to enter is April 30, 2011. For more information, click here.
 It's that time once again - the annual NOYS Act Out Loud contest as part of National Youth Traffic Safety Month in May. The contest challenges schools to create a distracted driving prevention program, and compete to win $10,000 through Internet voting!
Learn more at the actoutloud.org website, and register your project today for a chance at big money! The first 200 teams to register will receive a free distracted driving prevention toolkit.
|
| SADD National Conference
|  Registration is filling up fast for the 2011 SADD National Conference, Passport to Adventure: Cleared for Takeoff, which will be held Sunday, June 26, 2011, through Wednesday, June 29, 2011, at the Hyatt Regency O'Hare in Chicago, Illinois. For general conference information, click here. If you're ready to register online, click here.
Calling All Experts - Submit a Workshop Proposal!
We're looking to offer plenty of innovative workshops at the conference this summer. Do you have expertise in youth leadership, chapter development, or advocating for change? What about extensive knowledge in the issues SADD addresses, such as alcohol and other drug use, teen traffic safety, teen violence or suicide prevention? If so, you should submit a workshop proposal! Youth, adults, SADD chapters, and other organizations are encouraged to apply. Click here to download the workshop proposal form. All proposals are due by Friday, March 11, 2011.
We hope you're thinking about joining us in Chicago this summer!
|
| Chapter Toolbox |  Each month, a member of SADD National's Student Leadership Council (SLC) will write a column designed to help chapters with useful activity ideas, meeting suggestions, and more.
 Hello there, SADD students and advisors! My name is Deanna Boucher, and I'm a member of the SLC. I live in Lowell, Massachusetts where I'm a senior at the Academy of Notre Dame. I plan to attend Marywood University in Pennsylvania this fall and, at the moment, I'm hoping to major in photography.
February is a month filled with snow and Valentine's Day chocolates, but it's also the time we celebrate National Eating Disorders Awareness Week (or NEDAwareness Week). Sponsored by the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA), the awareness week will be held February 20-26 this year. NEDA hopes to get the message across that eating disorders are illnesses, not a choice, and anyone can develop an eating disorder - including men and boys.
My dietician, Rhys Wyman, M.S., R.D., L.D., is a specialist in eating disorders. Rhys told me, "Be informed, but not fearful, about eating disorders. Respect every body!" He also recommended the Multi-Service Eating Disorders (MEDA) website, medainc.org, to me as a useful source of information.
More and more SADD chapters are identifying eating disorders as an issue of concern within their school or community. If your chapter is interested in getting involved in NEDAwareness Week, you can find activity ideas, information, and more by clicking here. Don't forget to register your activity if you do one! NEDA's motto for the week is "Just do one thing" to promote the issue and spread awareness. We hope your chapter will get the word out!
Did your chapter do something great or have some awesome ideas? Stay in touch with the SLC through the SADD National Facebook page. We want to hear from you!
|
|
