By Gina Greco
Town of Webb students, grades eight through twelve, and community members were invited to the school in Old Forge to individually experience the effects of distracted and drunk driving by using simulators provided by the Save a Life Tour.
The learning event took place on Monday, March 2 in the school gymnasium.
Kelly Greene, a MAC’s Safe Ride board member, discovered the tour online, according to Gisele Kress.
Kress is the founder of MAC’s Safe Ride, which sponsored the event.
“We discussed it at MAC’s meetings and decided that this particular tour would be beneficial,” Kress said.
Feedback from the students was very positive, according to Kress.
“That was our goal,” she said.
The students were impressed with the hands-on feeling of the simulators, she said, which dramatically illustrated the dangers of driving with ability impaired.
“I think that was the whole purpose of the interactive program. Sometimes [the students] get glazed over when someone is talking to them,” she said.
“They’re constantly being lectured, and that was why we wanted a different experience, another approach. So much of what the kids do in this generation is all hands on,” she said.
During the presentation, there was a showing of an intense, realistic video.
Some of the video consisted of reenactments. Other footage depicted actual accidents scenes.
“It’s unfortunate that the students didn’t seem shocked by any of it; it’s a sad reality of this generation,” Gisele said.
“They all have seen it online,” she added.
Gisele said one of her goals is to keep the thoughts of drunk and distracted driving fresh in the students’ minds.
“They tend to realize that life goes on, so these thoughts can move to backs of their minds,” she said.
Gisele’s son Matthew, who lost his life in a tragic car accident, used to say to her all the time: “It’s my life, I’ll do what I want.”
“But he soon became all of our lives,” she said.
“I just wanted to emphasize that it’s not just the drunk operation of cars… it’s snowmobiles, bikes, boats and motorcycles. A lot of kids don’t realize that.”
“I would like to thank the community,” Gisele added. “As always, they helped make this possible.”
Gisele also extended thanks to the TOW Bar Inn, Slickers Tavern, Tony Harper’s, Daiker’s Inn, the Town of Webb Police Benevolent Association, Foley Law Firm, Timothy J. Schofield, Catholic Charities, Herkimer County Stop DWI, Tom Bernatchez Memorial Fund and Enchanted Forest/Water Safari.
“And of course, the Town of Webb school,” Kress said.
She mentioned that not all schools allow this kind of presentation.
“I want to thank Town of Webb School Prevention Counselor Brendan McGrath for coordinating on the school’s part; also Mike Gardner and the custodians for running around trying to get things squared away, so we can get in there for the day. Also, I would like to thank all the athletic teams and gym classes for rearranging their schedules. And of course Mr. Swick and Mr. Germer, because without them we can couldn’t have done anything,” she said.
“It was very nice to see our local police departments in attendance. Mike Edwards, our Herkimer County DWI coordinator, came, as well as the parole officer from Herkimer County. It was nice have their support.”