Kelowna

Award Winning Video

It will be an even more memorable graduation for the class of 2012 at George Elliot Senior Secondary in Lake Country.

The school's dry grad committee will be receiving a $4,000 cheque from the BC Automobile Association (BCAA) after winning a province wide contest.

Last year, BCAA challenged grade 12 students to produce videos warning of the dangers of driving under the influence.

In all, 48 videos were submitted. A production by Erik Madsen of George Elliot was announced the winner following a period of on-line voting.

Madsen's video was based on a anonymously written poem titled 'Jenny and the Moonlight Ride.'

Chad Wardman, the school's Grad Sponsor, says the money will allow the Grad Committee to free up funds for a secondary event.

"It will free up some other money and the consensus is to use that towards a secondary function for the weekend, something most of the kids will never get a chance to do," says Wardman.

"We're talking about maybe going zip-lining, having all the grads go up for a zip-line. Something they'll take away for the rest of their lives." 

Wardman says the message in Erik's video resonates so well because it is students impacting students.

"We do realize that it doesn't work when adults tell kids what to do. It can actually have the opposite affect. If other kids acknowledge risky behaviour does go on and try to curb it with thoughtful decision making then that is going to be more impactful."

He says the kids are extremely excited.

Based on a five-year average, BCAA says 16 to 25-year-olds account for the highest number of impaired drivers each year.

The latest BC Traffic Collision Statistics report indicates teen drivers between the ages of 16 and 20 account for the second-highest number of all alcohol-related crashes, behind those 21 to 25.