<b>By Diane Grooms</b>

Each year, the Battery Creek High School Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) Club conducts a pre-prom program for all students attending prom and their parents/guardians. This year, the presentation was Thursday, April 24. The SADD Club did an improve skit, depicting a scene on prom night where students at a party made the wrong decision by drinking and driving. This decision resulted in a wreck, with one fatality, one injury and two arrests. Following the skit, a mock funeral was held for the deceased.

To make this event possible, I must thank Beaufort County Coroner Ed Allen, Nick D’Angelo and Erik Swanson with the Burton Fire Department, London Ocon and Chris Bolton with Beaufort County EMS, BCHS SRO David Wilkinson, and Beaufort County Drug and Alcohol Department.

A special thanks goes to Mrs. Suzette Stibitz, mother of the deceased student who participated in the notification process and the funeral procession.  This is a hard role for a parent to play, but an important part of getting the overall message across to those in attendance.

When the skit was over, parents and students signed a Prom Pledge to not drink and drive on prom night. Each student who signed the pledge received a special letter written by elementary school students from Mrs. Horton’s and Mrs. Ruge’s class, Broad River Elementary School,  and from the students in the class of Mrs. Burnes from Shanklin Elementary School.