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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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\u2019s mission. He spoke about the importance of setting examples for youth and genuine conversations when asked, \u201cHow ya doin\u2019?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cKids are not foolish,\u201d Sauerbrey said about being an example and listening. \u201cNeither is your neighbor or your spouse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pastor Shawn Monclova emphasized that in the past year, the coalition has been able to become \u201ca wing of the community\u201d to help drive it forward with no regular funding available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe didn\u2019t wait around for someone to give us something, we just went after it,\u201d he said. \u201cWe saw a problem and we began to address it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One event that they\u2019ve 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Also at the Do 1 Thing event, Tioga County ASAP awarded two members with their own \u201cRock Star\u201d 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n