‘Do 1 Thing’ event promotes drug prevention

On Thursday, Jan. 17, Tioga County Allies in Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition held its annual Do 1 Thing event at the Elks Lodge in Owego to recap the successes of the pervious year, while pledging for more success in the coming year. 

Guests gathered in the on the chilly morning with coffee and breakfast as Lew Sauerbrey of WEBO Radio spoke to the crowd of the one thing community members could do to help with ASAP’s mission. He spoke about the importance of setting examples for youth and genuine conversations when asked, “How ya doin’?”

“Kids are not foolish,” Sauerbrey said about being an example and listening. “Neither is your neighbor or your spouse.”

Pastor Shawn Monclova emphasized that in the past year, the coalition has been able to become “a wing of the community” to help drive it forward with no regular funding available.

“We didn’t wait around for someone to give us something, we just went after it,” he said. “We saw a problem and we began to address it.”

One event that they’ve used to address substance abuse in Tioga County is with the Black Balloon Day, which will be happening this year on March 6. The coalition is in need of volunteers to pull off the day where local businesses post signs and balloons in their establishments to stand in solidarity with people fighting for drug prevention, Project Director Christina Olevano said. 

Also at the Do 1 Thing event, Tioga County ASAP awarded two members with their own “Rock Star” awards for those who devoted their time to their cause. The awards were given to Rachael Craig of Tioga Opportunities and Cassandra Neal of the New Hope Center. 

The event was concluded by Jill Teeter, Coalition coordinator, and Olevano by asking guests to share Tioga County ASAP’s vision of a safe and substance abuse-free community and urging people who are interested in helping with that vision to connect with them on social media and their website, www.casa-trinity.org/.