Tragic tale of alcohol and vehicles—Day of the Dead

It began with Trista Ferrara. The Grim Reaper walked up behind her, tapped her on the shoulder, and handed her a black rose. She was "dead," the victim of an alcohol-related accident. She donned a black t-shirt and lied down inside a square marked out with red cones and yellow police tape in the middle of the school atrium. Two fellow students draped her body with a white sheet.

That same scene was played out 20 more times over the course of Canajoharie High School's annual Day of the Dead on Tuesday, June 2. Sponsored by Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD), the event is a harsh reminder of the risks of alcohol and driving—an especially big concern during prom and graduation season.

At the beginning of the day, SADD members read this announcement over the school P.A. system, "SADD presents this activity to make us all aware of how serious of an action it is to choose to drink and drive or ride with someone who has been drinking. Throughout the day some of our friends at Canajoharie high school will become the victims of fatal situations. Please take this activity seriously because the statistics are clear; many of us will have to face this for real someday. Remember drunk driving is no accident! Drunk driving facts do not lie… do you think you can dodge the drunk driving bullet?"

The numbers are frightening. One American dies every 31 minutes in an alcohol-related accident. Traffic crashes are the number one killer of teens. One third of those involve alcohol!

"We hold our Day of the Dead every year in hopes that our message will reach our students," said SADD advisor Carol Ann Hammons. "After each student 'dies,' someone reads their story over the P.A. The stories are very personal and tragic, because that is the way they would be if one of our students had actually died."

Day of the Dead is part of SADD's efforts to help students make wise decisions. SADD sponsored the "Friends" exhibit throughout May. The group also sponsors the annual Post-Prom Party, a safe, alcohol-free celebration after the prom.