Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse (AODA) Prevention Coalition Gives $6,000 to Organizations in Burnett County
Instead of celebrating the luck of the Irish this past St. Paddy’s Day, Burnett County Prevention Coalition (BCPC) announced they were celebrating the hard work of the community.
BCPC has been hosting the St. Patrick’s Day Shamwalk/run 5k since 2011. Each year, funds raised from the event are saved and distributed to assist community and school projects that can’t otherwise be funded by the coalition’s Drug-Free Communities Grant. The largest portion of money each year is typically given to the Five District AODA Prevention Group which assists the schools in Burnett County to host safe post-prom activities for students. This year, however, they were able to make an even larger impact on the community. After 5 years the coalition slowly saved enough from the fundraiser to donate an even larger sum of money back to their important community partners to thank them and award them for their work to make Burnett County a healthier and safer place to live and raise our kids.
The Burnett County Prevention Coalition (BCPC) is a diverse community of organizations and individuals dedicated to preventing youth substance abuse by promoting a healthy environment and supporting safe choices. They have successfully driven campaigns such as “The Parents Who Host”, “Carding is Caring”, and “Prescription Drug Take-Back Days”, and have also hosted “Youth Leadership Days” for local students and assisted in funding post-prom activities. BCPC takes pride in assisting to prevent drinking and driving and decreasing the misuse of prescription drugs as well as illegal drug abuse.
Amongst our Grant Coordinator and Grant Coordinator Assistant team, we are fortunate to work with the representatives from several sectors in our community, which include the 12 DFC sectors. The 12 sectors are as follow; youth, business, parents, schools, law enforcement, religious/fraternal, civic volunteer, health professionals, youth-serving organizations, other substance abuse organization, state/local/tribal government agencies, and media. Our 12 sector representatives are present at our monthly coalition meetings and are actively working in our communities to enhance the mission and vision of BCPC.
To volunteer, join the coalition, or donate to the Shamwalk/run cause: contact Lisa Slater, Project Coordinator, 715-463-5721, empoweryouthdrugfree@gmail.com.