The damage set forth by destructive decisions

PINE PLAINS — When talking about drunk driving, the gravity of the subject is not lost on 17-year-old Erin Dorozynski. She’s the president of Stissing Mountain High School’s SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) chapter.

“When I was in middle school I saw all this stuff and I thought teenage drinking and doing drugs was a really bad thing and I wanted to help out with the fight against that,†said Erin, who has been a SADD member since ninth grade.

SADD originally stood for Students Against Drunk Driving, but its focus has grown. Today the group encourages other youths to steer clear of not only drinking and driving but also of drug abuse, risky and impaired driving, teen violence and teen suicide. Erin said these are common issues among today’s young.

“I think anybody would be surprised to know how many young people are making destructive decisions,†she said. “When we went into the elementary schools and had a Q-and-A, and talked about destructive decisions and the parents were there, I think they were surprised that drinking and driving and doing drugs is really a concern.â€

To let their peers know just how real a problem destructive decisions can be, SADD members organize an annual Grim Reaper Day. On that day one person dresses up like Death personified, and every 30 minutes taps a student on the shoulder, representing the fact that every 33 minutes somebody is killed as a result of an impaired driving accident. Then that student’s face gets painted white and he/she is given a T-shirt to wear that states, “Don’t talk to me, I’m just a memory.†At the end of the day the death toll is tallied.

“It really makes an impact because you don’t realize until you see how many people you know who could be lost due to impaired driving,†Erin said. “Not everybody gets something out of it, because some people don’t realize it until it happens to them, but for the kids who do, it really helps.â€

Another exercise SADD sponsors is the battle of the belts, which the school held last Wednesday and Thursday. The goal is to get four students strapped into the car, seat belts fastened, and then to repeat the process, four times over, in each car seat position. The fastest group wins.

Last week students from the middle school and high school battled it out for bragging rights. The winners (one team from each school) will get to do it all again this weekend, April 26, in Chatham, at the official Battle of the Belts.

That competition is being held in conjunction with the eighth annual Sean’s Run, a 5K run/walk race that has become a regular event for Pine Plains students over the years. Sean’s Run is in honor of a 17-year-old student, Sean Patrick French, who lost his life when, in 2002, as a passenger, he was involved in a drunk driving accident. The driver responsible for the accident had been arrested for drunk driving 18 days prior to the crash that took Sean’s life and left Ian Moore, another 17-year-old, paralyzed. Neither Sean nor Moore, who were in the back seats, wore seat belts. Sean’s family organized the Battle of the Belts and Sean’s Run to work to prevent loss of life in similar situations.

“For me personally, being Sean’s uncle, his memory lives on,†said Jeff French, the organizer of the event. “With Sean’s passing there were a lot of comments that we should do something in his memory and one of the ways to do that was to do this race, that’s how it started. Along with that we brought awareness to drinking and driving, that’s our main goal. Our second goal is to make sure everyone has seat belts on. And the race is on this weekend because it’s the weekend before proms start.

“Our other goal is to fill his spirit — and Sean’s spirit is there with us,†French said. “It’s a good feeling.â€

According to the seansrun.com, “This tragedy prompted the enactment of Sean’s Law on January 1, 2003, that requires the suspension of a license upon the first arrest of a 16 or 17 year old on drunk driving charges. The bill to implement Sean’s Law, which passed in both the NYS Senate and Assembly with unanimous votes, was drafted and first introduced in the Senate by our own Senator Stephen Saland and subsequently introduced in the Assembly by Buffalo-area Assemblyman Paul Tokasz. [Then] Governor George E. Pataki signed the Bill into law during a public ceremony at Chatham High School on September 30, 2002.â€

Erin said she can barely begin to understand Sean’s family’s grief, but she recognizes their need to help others stay safe.

“It’s a little step that could save your life, and they just want to show that,†she said. “And they make it nice, and fun, for kids and everyone.â€

There’s also another part of the day, which includes Meghan’s Mile, a youth race for those 12 and under. It’s to happen before the 5K. The race is in honor of Meghan Nicole Kraham, a friend of Sean’s who helped with Sean’s Run as she battled cancer. Meghan died due to her own illness on Aug. 18, 2007.    

The events will  be held at Chatham High School, in the village of Chatham, about 40 minutes south of Albany. For more information, call Jeff French, at 518-672-4757, or go online to seansrun@yahoo.com.

In addition to the races and competitions, there will be an information fair with booths representing Reality Check, the Sheriff’s Office, SADD chapters and other organizations.

Meghan’s Mile registration begins at 10 a.m., the Battle of the Belts sign-in is at 11 a.m. Registration for the 5K runs from 11 a.m. to noon., registration forms and on-line entry are also available at www.SeansRun.com. The Battle of the Belts World Championship begins at noon. Meghan’s Mile starts at 12:30 p.m. The 5K run/walk starts at 1 p.m. The awards presentation is to take place at 2 p.m.