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March brings a number of important programs and activities.  Chapters across the country are holding Take It Back! events in early March and/or participating in Town Hall Meetings at the end of the month in partnership with community coalitions.  Other chapters are holding activities for National Sleep Awareness Week or planning ahead for National Youth Traffic Safety Month (see below for more information).  What is your chapter doing this month?

Here's a reminder to encourage all members of your chapter to sign up to receive The SADDvocate.  Just have them visit the sadd.org homepage to join!  If it's easier, you can even send a list of e-mail addresses for your chapter to Chris Egan, SADD's Director of Field Services, at cegan@sadd.org. 

If they want to see what it's all about before signing up, you can forward this newsletter to them by clicking the link below.

Just as they did last year, NOYS will offer 50 $1,000 awards for the best NYTSM activities.  Last year, 15 SADD chapters were recipients of a $1,000 award, and we're hoping for even more this year!  All you need to do is register your activity on the NYTSM website, and you're eligible for an award.

This May, as part of National Youth Traffic Safety Month, we are excited to announce that NOYS has introduced a new component to NYTSM.  "Act Out Loud: Raising Voices for Safe Teen Driving" is a national teen-and school-led activism competition to help spread the word about safe teen driving.

With a grand prize of $10,000, the Act Out Loud contest will identify and reward the nation's best teen-led, school-based, smart-driving projects. High schools nationwide are invited to enter the contest by submitting their project proposals at www.ActOutLoud.org. From the school nominations, the 10 best projects (based on creativity, communication of the issue and contest theme, and ability to reach the largest number of teens) will be selected.

The 10 selected school teams will each:

• Be awarded $1,000 to carry out their project;
• Receive a video camera to document their project;
• Receive toolkits with tips for executing their project and working with local media to promote it;
• Execute the project during the last two weeks of April, with the project unveiled nationally on the Web in May; and
• Document their project through blog, photos, and video postings on the Act Out Loud website.

On May 1, after the projects have been unveiled, the public will be invited to vote for their favorites at www.ActOutLoud.org.  The winning project, based on total online votes, will be announced on May 12.  The top three teams will receive cash awards to continue their traffic safety efforts, with first place receiving $10,000, second place receiving $5,000 and third place receiving $3,000.  A $5,000 grant will also be awarded to the nonprofit national youth organization nominated by the winning team.

If your chapter might be interested in this competition, be sure to visit www.ActOutLoud.org to submit your safe driving project.  Submissions will only be accepted until midnight on March 26.

We'll be featuring more information about NYTSM as May approaches; however, it's not too early for your chapter to begin planning your activity!  Visit the NYTSM website to learn more.  You can also sign up for the weekly NOYS e-newsletter, called Notable NOYS, by clicking here.

To begin shopping, visit the SADD Store at saddstore.org, and click on "Browse/Order Via Credit Card" to see all the great merchandise for sale.  If you'd like to use a school purchase order, click on "Order Via Purchase Order" from the home screen, and enter the username and password you received when you set up your purchase order account.  If you don't have an account already set up, you'll need to do so before using a purchase order - approval takes a day or so.

Of course, you can also reach the SADD Store by phone - call 1-800-394-0090 - or by e-mail at saddstore@workflowone.com.

Before you order, don't forget to ask your State Coordinator for a special code so your state SADD organization benefits from your purchase.  Don't have a State Coordinator?  No problem!  Your purchase helps SADD chapters nationwide.

In past issues of The SADDvocate, we told you about familyfocus, one of the programs in the SADD Speaker Series, which was designed for audiences of parents and teens.  Now we're happy to offer schoolspeaker,a program for school audiences.

SADD's schoolspeaker presentation, part of the SADD Speaker Series, focuses on empowering students to make healthy choices.  Young people are motivated toward positive risk-taking and peer-to-peer education and prevention.  The schoolspeaker presentation is dynamic, interactive, and tailored to the concerns of your community.  It is designed as a daytime assembly for middle or high school students.

A speaker who is anything but "typical," SADD Chairman and CEO Stephen Wallace brings his audience years of experience as a school psychologist and adolescent counselor during this 50-minute candid and constructive program.  By mixing stories and humor with audience participation and sound research, he sheds new light on the most difficult issues facing teens today: underage drinking, impaired and dangerous driving, drug use, and teen violence and suicide.

How can you bring the schoolspeaker presentation and SADD's Chairman and CEO to your school?  Visit saddspeaker.org, call 877-SADD-INC, or e-mail saddspeaker@sadd.org to request an information packet or book a speaking engagement.  We can also help you with fund-raising ideas and marketing opportunities for this special event.

There are plenty of great resources online that are useful for SADD chapters and community coalitions.  Here are just a few!

NCADI is the National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information.  There are many free resources that can be mailed to you in bulk.  They have a "Tips for Teens" brochure series that can be downloaded or mailed.  There are also more brochures, posters, videos, and program kits that address virtually every drug and alcohol issue.  Make sure to visit ncadi.samhsa.gov and check out the entire catalog!

The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) offers customizable "Open Letters" to parents.  These letters can be customized with the name and logos of SADD chapters, community coalitions, schools, and others.  At this time with proms and graduations coming up, they have a "Senior Year" letter available here.  You can also visit theantidrug.com/openletter for more letters.

CADCA is Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America.  SADD is a CADCA member and exhibits at the annual CADCA conference in February to help encourage coalitions to involve SADD chapters in their efforts.  In partnership with ONDCP, CADCA releases "Strategizers" for coalitions on various topics.  They've just introduced a new one on prescription drugs.  Although designed for coalitions, the Strategizer contains program ideas and other useful information that SADD chapters can use, either in partnership with community coalitions or on their own.  Click here to download a Strategizer.

Are you getting ready to cheer on your favorite Major League Baseball team on opening day?  Get prepared by visiting the MLB Shop to purchase jerseys, hats, collectibles and other memorabilia before the season begins!  If baseball isn't your thing, then check out the ESPN Shop for all your March Madness needs.

When you order online through the SADD eMall at www.sadd-emall.com, a portion of your purchase will support SADD programs and activities.

Check out newly added stores, such as Old Navy and Coldwater Creek. The full store list also includes Buy.com, Columbia House, Gap, and Snapfish.  Get creative and find an April Fools' Day gift for a friend!

And don't forget that tax day is April 15.  File your taxes with the help of TurboTax, which can be found on the SADD eMall, too.

Helping SADD while making your everyday purchases is easy.  Simply visit www.sadd-emall.com, click on the store of your choice, and do your shopping.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

In the Spotlight this month is Fayette-Ware Comprehensive High School SADD from Somerville, Tennessee.  FWCHS SADD recently participated in the "Souper Bowl of Caring," a national food and charity donation program timed to Super Bowl weekend.

The Souper Bowl of Caring allows those raising money locally to designate where it will go.  The general purpose is to give the money back to the local community rather than sending it to a national group.

FWCHS SADD members already had a cause in mind for their donations.  Anthony, a student at FWCHS, was in a serious car crash in January and remained in the trauma unit in a Memphis hospital (50 miles away) at the time of the Super Bowl.  His mother was with him constantly, and, as a result, was incurring expenses.  All of the money raised went to defer expenses from Anthony's hospital stay.

SADD Advisor Chris Dupree reports that the SADD chapter raised more than $600 for Anthony's family during the event.  Each student filled out a donor card that was affixed to a corridor wall to create a "Wall of Caring."  Pictured above are SADD students and faculty in front of the wall.  One student passing by took in the huge number of donor cards on the wall and said, "Wow!  This is what we did!"  Congrats to everyone at Fayette-Ware Comprehensive High School SADD for this show of care and compassion for one of their own!

The Souper Bowl of Caring happens every year.  Although it began as a church-focused campaign, it now also takes place in schools and communities throughout the United States and beyond.  Participating groups raised more than $9 million in 2008.  To learn more about how your chapter can participate in 2009, visit souperbowl.org. 

If you'd like to see YOUR chapter featured in The SADDvocate or in our print newsletter, Decisions, be sure to let us know about what you're doing!  Include a picture or two if you can.  Send news to Chris Egan, SADD National Director of Field Services, at cegan@sadd.org or at the mailing address at the bottom of this e-mail.

SADD's Program Corner will be written each month by a member of the SADD National Student Leadership Council (SLC).  The Program Corner will bring you quick and easy ideas for activities to enliven chapter meetings, brighten your school, or reach out to recruit new members.  This month we welcome SLC member Joe Laston from Williston, Vermont.

Hey, SADD students!  I'm Joe Laston from the SLC.  This month I would like to share with you a great way to raise funds for your SADD chapter.

When your school team is playing at home, you can rent a couch or two lounge chairs from your local rental center, or borrow them from someone.  Place the couches on the football field or right on the basketball court.  Sell raffle tickets at a SADD stand for the spectators to win those seats during the game.  When the first period or quarter is over, announce the name of two or four tickets (two for the chairs, four for the couch), and the winners get to sit in those seats for the remainder of the game.

Ticket prices usually range from $1 to $2, but if you can coordinate with the concession stand, maybe you can throw in a snack and drink, and then the price can be up to $5.  This is a great way to watch the game and spread the word about SADD.  If you have a summer baseball or softball team, you can do the same thing, but with a kiddie pool and lawn chairs.

I hope your next SADD fund-raiser is spectacular!

Did you know there are lots of free activity ideas at sadd.org?  Click here to see a list of some of the great ideas for activities your chapter can do!

And don't forget about the SADD Manual, which is filled with important information and helpful activity plans.  Click here to learn more about the new SADD Manual.