Thank you

Senior prom not only fun, but safe

Senior prom at last — the much-anticipated, once-in-a-lifetime event was a grand success: Central Kitsap High School’s prom for the class of 2009 was not just fun, but also safe. Hundreds of hours of preparation went into making this prom the wonderful experience it was, but the most important issue raised in the process was the prevention of drunk driving. Under the direction of Mock Crash Chair Janice McFarland, CK counselor Randy Templeton, MADD Kitsap County Chapter President Marsha Masters and with the support of the administration and staff, the annual mock crash on April 7 impacted the actions and touched the hearts of CK students and the community.

Seven seniors participated in this simulated car crash which involved two casualties, a number of injuries and a drunk driver. The horrific scene demonstrated the importance of life and its fragility — no matter how young or old one is. This was the seventh year Central Kitsap High School provided the mock crash assembly before senior prom and it continues to be one of its most significant traditions.

We would like to thank a number of people for making the entire experience not only smooth, but also powerful. The Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office, Washington State Patrol, Central Kitsap Fire & Rescue and Air Lift Northwest made the performance frighteningly realistic and we thank them for taking time out of their day to help. Thank you to Silverdale Towing and CenCom for their contributions. Thank you to Debbie Rice for the wonderful makeup, great acting tips and pre-show pep talk. Thank you to seniors Lexi Dewar and Colton Rice for the wonderful photography coverage.

A huge thank you also goes to Leah Meadows for your bravery and dedication which has touched so many lives. Thank you to Marsha Masters for all of the time and effort you have put into teaching us high school students something we don’t learn in a classroom – and otherwise refuse or forget to learn from others’ experiences. Thank you to Janice McFarland for taking the time to help coordinate this event – your efforts are vital and so appreciated. Thank you to Randy Templeton for the support you continually give this project year after year. Many thanks also go to Grant Rico, the leadership class, Diane Winger, Paul Stenson and those who organized the sound system and were involved with broadcasting, videotaping and editing: Carrie Rosendahl, Eric Reichel, Kayne Hoff and Sam Stevens.

Prom was an amazing experience and we are so thankful for all of your efforts and contributions, which left one of our most treasured high school memories untainted by a prom-related fatality. We appreciate each and every one of you and it is with heartfelt gratitude that we say thank you for letting us be part of such a moving and life changing demonstration. We will remember it always.

RACHAEL BALBARONA

HENRY BAUER

KATIE JACKSON

HOWARD MCDONALD

WYVERNE HEMPHILL

ALLIE RUE

PATRICIA SIMPKINS

CK High School students