Senator Tom Libous and YES! Safe Choices for Kids were joined by local parents, teachers and school administrators to honor more than 540 Broome, Tioga and Chenango YES! LEADers at the YES! LEADers Change Lives Recognition Reception.
YES! LEADers are middle and high school students who, after a day of hands-on training, present to local elementary school students about the dangers of substance abuse, the importance of self-esteem and its role in making healthy choices as they grow up.
One Tioga County YES! LEADer was among the three winners of the Jill Kavanagh Memorial YES! LEADS Scholarships. Eric Zwierlein, a senior from Tioga Central High School, was selected based upon his contributions to his school’s YES! LEADS program and his commitment to a substance-free lifestyle.
Eric, a 4-year YES! LEADS member, received a $250 scholarship and will be attending SUNY Fredonia this fall, majoring in sports management.
“YES! LEADS has helped me make true friends that reinforce my choices,” said Eric. “The foundation that I’ve built will help me to say ‘no’ to things that could be a distraction to my goals.”
YES! Safe Choices for Kids, a partnership between Senator Libous and Lourdes Hospital, is now in its 23rd year. Since 1989, more than 8,500 YES! LEADers have helped teach more than 100,000 elementary school students about the dangers of drugs and alcohol. Owego-Apalachin, Tioga Central, and Waverly school districts participate in the YES! LEADs program. Their LEADers have served as role models for hundreds of Tioga County elementary school children this school year.
For more information about YES! and YES! LEADS, please visit www.YesSafeChoices.org.
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