Sheldon High School Students Shown The Power Of Choice

From Jared, Krysten, Jessica, and Kevin:

As coordinators or the Power of Choice program, we would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who helped us launch this amazing event. A special thanks to Sanford Sheldon, NCC, SCAT, and O’Brien County EMA for giving us the time and resources to make this possible. To all the amazing sponsors, service organizations, volunteers, Sheldon Community School Administration, and Staff; without your support, generosity, time, and talents, none of this would have been possible. Students – your are the reason we did this – thanks for giving us your time, your attention, your ideas, and most of all, your commitment to this project. Never forget, the ‘power’ is yours – make the best choices you can. Last but not least, thanks to the parents for supporting us, allowing us to spend time with your kids, and your time and dedication to the program.

Jared, Krysten, Jessica, and Kevin.

Sheldon, Iowa — Students from Sheldon Community High School were met with a heart-wrenching scene Wednesday morning, as they were ushered to the high school parking lot to witness a realistic portrayal of a serious car crash involving people their age.

The program, entitled The Power of Choice, is presented by Sanford Sheldon, the Sheldon Community Ambulance Team, NCC and O’Brien County EMA.

Krysten Haan of SCAT talks about the purpose of the program.

(As above) “The Power of Choice program is a program designed to show the students the importance of making positive choices .”

We asked her how the program begins.

(As above) “The Sheldon Ambulance, Sanford Sheldon, O’Brien County Emergency Management Agency and NCC will be hosting the Power of Choice program at the Sheldon High School. It entails a mock accident which will be starting at about 9:20 or 9:25 on the 4th in the morning. It will be a mock accident out in the parking lot and that’s when the students will start arriving outside.”

The student body then watches the victims being rescued by real firemen, ambulance personnel, a medical helicopter, and since one student dies at the scene, the funeral home.

Haan explains what comes next.

(As above) “After the mock accident is finished we have a dinner for the students and the volunteers, the responders that are coming, and then we start again Wednesday afternoon with an ER scene and that will be a scene involving one of the students and that runs until about 1:45 and then we go in to a defense or a jury trial for one of the students who is a drunk driver that was involved in the accident and being charged with student injuries and death of a couple students.”

She says Wednesday night they’ll have a special get-together at the Holiday Inn Express.

(As above) “As a student parent Retreat, as a way to make sure the students are, one okay, and they’re doing well with this process as well as a time for us to come together as teams of you know the ambulance Sanford Sheldon O’Brien County EMA NCC to make sure that we’re thanking our sponsors and showing our appreciation to the students for what they’ve done for us, so that we keep the students at the Holiday Inn Wednesday overnight and then we bring them back to the high school on Thursday to start our last scenario, our last scene.”

The program continues Thursday morning.

(As above) “Then on Thursday the 5th, Thursday morning, we will have a funeral proceeding for the students that were in the accident that ended up passing away and that goes from 8 in the morning until about 10 in the morning on Thursday, and then the Power of Choice program is done after that.”

She says the Power of Choice program is a very powerful way to get the message across to some of our newest drivers that driving while impaired or distracted, can be deadly.

For more information about this week’s Power of Choice program at Sheldon High School, CLICK HERE.

Below are picture take by KIWA Staff of the event….