This year’s White Ribbon Campaign, as part of the Safe Driving Program began on Sunday, May 19 and continues until Saturday, June 1, reminding seniors that high school graduation is a time to celebrate accomplishment and should not be marred by tragedy that results from reckless driving and poor choices.
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In an effort to keep students safe and honor those who have lost their lives, Santa Clarita Sheriff’s deputies have been distributing white ribbons during senior assemblies. The city of Santa Clarita and several community partners are encouraging graduating seniors to wear those white ribbons on graduation day, raising awareness about the importance of driving safe and sober to make it home alive this graduation season.
“Back in 2006, the card that we presented students had 24 names of teenagers that had lost their lives in traffic collisions,” said Deputy Josh Dubin. “Today’s card that we’re presenting students, the graduating class of 2013, has five names on it, five name of teenagers that have lost their lives in traffic collisions.”
Those five Santa Clarita Valley teens remembered during this 2013 graduation season are Sarah Alarid, Jaime M. Arias, Eric Gilhooley, Dakota DeMott and Derek Millsap.
“Graduation is a time of celebration and we want each and every senior to make it home safe this year,” said Mayor Bob Kellar. “I encourage graduating seniors and community members to wear a white ribbon during graduation as a way of honoring those we have lost and as a pledge to drive safe and act responsibly this graduation season.”
About the White Ribbon Campaign
The campaign was developed in 1998 in response to concerns about the number of local teens who lost their lives in vehicular collisions as a result of someone’s bad decision to drive recklessly or while impaired. This White Ribbon campaign is part of the Drive Safe Program, initiated by Frontier Toyota with the assistance of several community organizations including Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station, Safe Rides and the City of Santa Clarita.
For more information on White Ribbon Week in Santa Clarita, click here.
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