18 Years!

     It’s finally here! This week the 2008 prom season begins. Our Lewis & Daggett team is excited for the 18^th year of our Safe Sober Prom Night Program.

     Mike Lewis and I founded SSPN in 1991. In what we do professionally we all too often see the destruction and tragedy done to children, families and individuals by drinking and driving. We believed that we were in a unique position in our community to address this issue, and so Safe Sober Prom Night was born. We really never dreamed it would be so successful for all these years.

     We have used a two prong attack First, we believe that young people need continual reminders of the dangers of drinking and driving. Second, is to help create an environment of positive peer pressure to help encourage our students in the right direction.

     The SSPN program has become part of the values and culture at our firm. In fact, when we start going to the high schools starting this week our entire L & D will be involved reflecting reflecting their high personal levels of commitment . We will personally visit more than 30 high schools and give away more than 10,000 t-shirts in the triad area.

     Over the years, SSPN has won a number of significant awards in additional to local recognition. The program has been awarded the Governor’s Highway Safety Program Public safety award, as well as the American Bar Association Award for Dignity in Lawyer Advertising.

     Of course, the most significant award is from the students who now think Safe Sober is "cool" and proudly participate year to year. This year a "cool" addition is virtual pledge that students can take on-line, and of course there are lots of other goodies there too.

     Please join our students and our L & D Team in make this year the safest prom season ever!

Lights, Camera, Action!

     Are you ready? Prom season is now just right around the corner. Lights, Camera, Action - it will be here. We are all excited and ready for this special time.

     This past week we really experienced "Lights, Camera, Action" with a group of students at Glenn High School. Glenn had the highest percentage of students take the Safe Sober Prom Night "Do It Right!" pledge out of all the all local high schools. In doing so they won the opportunity to participate in this year’s TV promotional advertisement.

     The Glenn students have great leadership with Principal Coplin, and faculty leaders Ms. Wilson and Ms. P-H (as the students call her). They helped coordinate the students for this extra-curricular activity, which really turned out to be a great experience.

     With the help of WXII TV we were able to turn the auditorium at the high school into a temporary studio in order to shoot the spot. In the process, Mike Lewis and I were able to give the students a bit of a lesson in actual production, as well as having a good bit of fun with them.

     Our Lewis & Daggett team is always impressed with our local students. These students at Glenn were top notch in all respects. We enjoyed the afternoon we spent with them, had a lot of fun, and are excited about their futures.

     This year’s SSPN ad should hit the airways in the next week or so. It will also be posted at www.safeandsober.com. Also at the website students will be able to take the virtual pledge, contact friends, get prom tips, and keep up with all of the SSPN activities.

     Please join us in encouraging our students - they are off to a great start!

Connecting to Our Community

     This past week we made a presentation on Social Security and Disability to Leaps & Bounds, a multiple sclerosis self help group in Winston-Salem. The presentation was led by L & D attorney John Koontz.

L & D Attorney John Koontz

The Artist

     It is hard to believe that the time changed for spring this weekend, and prom season is right around the corner! Our Safe Sober Prom Night program is getting ready for its 18^th season. We of kicked things off this past week by announcing the winner of the T-shirt design contest.

     The annual T-shirt design competition is open to students at all high schools in North and South Carolina. We received many impressive designs from a number of schools in our area. The final decision proved to be quite difficult for the selection committee.

     The winner of the 2008 Safe Sober Prom Night T-shirt design contest is Tyler Pennington, a senior at North Surry High School. Tyler’s design will be featured on more than 10,000 t-shirts distributed to high school students in the Triad area, and available to all high schools throughout North and South Carolina as part of the Safe Sober Prom Night program.

     During a surprise presentation in his classroom at North Surry High School, we presented Tyler with the very first 2008 t-shirt produced and a scholarship check for $500.

     Our team had a great time with the surprise coordinated by Tyler’s art teacher, M.s Jennifer Via, and administrators at the school. They included and coordinated Tyler’s family, school officials, and the Safe Sober staff. Tyler was really caught off guard!

     Ms. Via, as well as other art teachers across the triad, did an excellent job motivating students to submit entries to the t-shirt design contest, and supporting the artists in their efforts. She has also used this as an opportunity for further learning and case study in her class.

     During this past week, WSJS radio feature a live interview with Tyler and highlighted the safe Sober Prom Night program. Several newspapers in the triad area covered the story as well. This was a great experience for Tyler. He handled it all very well. We are proud of him and optimistic for his future.

     In just a few short weeks, T-shirt distribution will begin at area high schools for student who sign the "Do it Right!" pledge to stay safe and sober on prom night. Please help us support our promising young people.

Amazing People

     Wow! Do you ever find that some people are so amazing that they just leave you in awe? At Lewis & Daggett we seem to have a number of folks who leave us feeling this way. That is one aspect of what we do that is so much fun.

Diane, Grady, and L & D Team Members

     This past week we made a visit to some past clients out in Davie county. Normally, due to our ethical responsibility to maintain confidentiality we do not talk about clients or their affairs.