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“Washington State Substance Abuse
Awards" Good afternoon. It is wonderful to be here again with all of you. For eight years now the State of Washington has presented the Exemplary Substance Abuse Prevention Awards. For you honorees, this summit not only recognizes your work, it also serves as encouragement to those who might feel like they are fighting an uphill battle. You are proof positive that the challenges of substance abuse can, and will, be overcome. Thank you hardly seems adequate to express my personal gratitude for your perseverance fighting substance abuse in our state . . . but I can’t think of any other way to convey my heartfelt gratitude. I am confident the citizens of Washington state share my appreciation for your commitment. This is important work—valuable work. Without your faithfulness this malicious opponent would find it much easier to invade our homes, and the hearts and minds of our families and friends. Your compassion is a great example in the fight against substance abuse. You are the leaders; guiding our society into a future not tainted by substance abuse and all its lethal repercussions. The legacy you are creating is the stuff future generations will strive to carry out, filling some very large shoes as they too march to the beat of the drum that your work has marshaled. Washington is a safer and healthier place for our children and families because of the work you have done and continue to do every day! Our shared vision makes it possible to save the lives of our youth and our adults in need. We have learned that if we can educate and support these often vulnerable kids and our communities, we do have a chance to break the cycle of addiction.
It is
extremely uplifting to be here this afternoon, to help honor all of you
for the outstanding work you do to fight substance abuse with
prevention. A review committee then evaluates the nominations and makes the final selections.
At this
time I am happy to introduce you to the 2006 Awardees: The first category is Peer Recognition Individual and the first honoree is: Carla Huyck Over the last five years, Washington State has experienced a 48 percent drop in youth smoking! Much of this success can be attributed to the Department of Health’s Tobacco Prevention and Control Program, and to the person who monitors and supports our school-based efforts through the nine Educational Service Districts. Of course, I’m talking about Carla Huyck. Reducing youth tobacco use and improving overall health outcomes is not just a job to Carla, it is a life passion. Her previous work has included focus on the prevention of a variety of health risk behaviors, including teen pregnancy, health disparity issues, relationship issues, and the connection between these behaviors and substance abuse. Through her tireless efforts, Carla has helped surround our children with inescapable, anti-tobacco information and messages… …establishing a social norm that smoking, and other destructive behaviors, are simply not acceptable in our schools. The numbers bear repeating: A 48 percent drop in youth smoking equates to about 65,000 children, statewide. To put it another way, nearly 13,000 kids will be spared an early death, thanks (in large part) to Carla and the programs she assists. Congratulations, and thank you for your hard work! Our next honoree is Travis Skidmore As you all know, one of the most popular myths for the substance abuser is: “I’m only hurting myself.” The tragic death of Seattle Police Officer Joselito Barber, in August, gave us all a painful reminder of how false this myth really is. Officer Barber died when he was broadsided by a speeding vehicle whose driver was charged with being under the influence of cocaine. Certainly no less tragic, and no less painful, was the loss of sixteen-year-old Trent Skidmore, at the hands of a drunk driver in 1993. Instead of turning inward with their grief, the Skidmores began an active campaign in order to prevent this tragedy from happening to another family. Travis continues the work of his late father Bob, serving as coordinator of the Grant County Victims Panel, volunteering in schools and even with the Corrections Division. Travis honors the memories of his brother and father by retelling his family’s heartbreaking story to DUI offenders, and others in his community. His passion, dedication and knowledge help people fully understand the impact of drinking and driving. As one participant put it: “His information came from the heart… …I will never forget it!” We may not know how many lives he has saved with his presentations, but we do know that Travis Skidmore is truly making a difference. Congratulations and thank you for your hard work! The next category is Program Recognition (one winner) Martin Luther King, Jr. Family Outreach Center Before and After School Programs: FAME and Youth 2000 In east central Spokane, this organization, known simply as “MLK,” provides leadership in the community by promoting such values as appreciation of diversity, unity and equal access to opportunities. In addition to FAME, for kindergarten through 3rd graders, and Youth 2000, for grades 4 through 6, MLK provides ECEAP Preschool, a summer youth academy, teen leadership programs and family support services. They continue to focus more on academic achievement, through tutoring and mentoring programs. An integral part of the Spokane community, MLK partners with local schools and organizations like United Way, Campfire and Girl Scouts, and corporations such as Starbucks and Home Depot to provide evidenced-based prevention services. In a recent survey, 19 out of 20 parents of FAME and Youth 2000 students believe their children found new friends, built positive values and had admirable role models at MLK. These are powerful weapons in the war on substance abuse and we thank you for producing them! Congratulations and thank you for your hard work! The final category is the Lifetime Achievement Award (two winners) Susie Roberts Susie is retiring at the end of this month, after 30 years with the State of Washington. While she hasn’t been in the prevention field as long as one of her nominators claims: “since dirt was invented,” she has been there since the beginning of Community Mobilization, in 1987. From the implementation of the program, to securing and protecting state and federal funding, to making sure that contractors reach out to underserved populations in every single county in our state, Susie has been there. As program director, she has been the instrumental vision and voice for Community Mobilization. Nationally recognized and respected for her work, Susie was named Chair of the National Network for Safe and Drug free schools in 2003. Over the past two decades, Susie has helped shape the prevention effort in Washington State, and many other states as well. She will be sorely missed in her retirement. Congratulations and thank you for your hard work! Leroy “Oly” Harrison If you were to just glance at Oly’s nomination form, you might find yourself asking: Where does this guy work and who does he work for? Pierce County? Puyallup? Sumner? Fife? Ferrucci Junior High School? With Police? Storekeepers? Teachers? Parents? Students? Of course, the answer to all these questions is: “Yes, and a whole lot more!” Working out of the Tacoma office of the Washington State Liquor Control Board’s Enforcement and Education Division, Officer Harrison takes an aggressive and proactive approach to his job, conducting compliance and premises checks, participating in bar sweeps, undercover investigations, corridor traffic safety projects and other relevant enforcement activities. But his heart for prevention and keeping kids safe, has caused Oly to go over and above his “assigned” job. His participation in Parent Party Patrol and DUI victims’ panels, MADD Youth Legislative Sessions and SAFTYE/SADD conferences, and the teaching of liquor compliance to police reserves are just some of the reasons Oly has twice been given the Extra Mile Award by his fellow officers. He’s “hoping” to retire next year, but we know somehow, somewhere Oly Harrison will continue to be involved with substance abuse prevention. Congratulations and thank you for your hard work! Let’s give all our honorees another round of applause… Peer recognition is such an important part of what we do. It’s great to know that other people appreciate all your efforts. Congratulations to all of you who have received awards this afternoon! It’s always inspiring to see so many dedicated professionals working to make the lives of Washingtonians better. This concludes the awards ceremony for this year. Thank you for all that you do, and keep up the excellent work! |
