PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Circuit Court hosts pre-prom safety program for Marion Catholic High School students

Released On 04/30/2002

Chicago Heights, IL (04-30-02) - More than 500 students from Marion Catholic High School attended pre-prom driving safety programs sponsored by the Circuit Court of Cook County's Community Safety Initiative on April 29 and 30, 2002, at Marion Catholic High School in Chicago Heights. Entitled The Parent Connection, the programs were mandatory for students planning to attend their annual prom, their dates and their parents.

Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans said, "The court remains committed to creating partnerships with education and health care professionals to raise awareness among students on the importance of safe driving practices during prom season and everyday."

The Parent Connection program featured a thought-provoking workshop called Life and Death in the ER. This graphic presentation was narrated by an emergency room nurse who used slides taken during emergency room treatment and real life anecdotes to drive home the heartwrenching consequences of impaired driving.

According to Judge Thomas Panichi, Chairman of the Sixth Municipal District Community Safety Initiatives Committee, "These pre-prom events are designed to give students a chance to draw their own conclusions on the possibilities they can face if they make the reckless decision to drive while under the influence or to allow someone to drive in that condition." Judge Panichi also delivered a presentation on the legal ramifications of impaired driving.

The Parent Connection was funded by a grant from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration through the Illinois Department of Transportation, Division of Traffic Safety.