It's all about young people taking a stand together and taking control of their lives. And they call it SADD. It used to be MADD.
Around 650 students bound together in Students Against Destructive Decisions are expected to gather at the Alerus Center in Grand Forks Sunday for a regional convention.
The organization is strong in many smaller schools of the area and in some larger districts, such as Bismarck. It started in Boston and changed its mission from not only drunken driving but destructive decisions in 1997. That, said Lee Erickson of Hillsboro, was when peer groups found so many other issues out there. Erickson is state advisor for SADD. He became involved in the organization after his own daughter was killed by a drunken driver.
The regional SADD organization now includes North Dakota, Minnesota and South Dakota. It is strong in many schools around Grand Forks. The current student of the year is Andi Gleason of McVille, N.D. Morgan Uriell of Lakota, N.D., is the incoming student of the year.
St. Patrick's Parade
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Winter hangs on, but St. Patrick's Day will be here Sunday -- ready or not. The sixth annual St. Patrick's Day parade begins at 3 p.m. Saturday in front of Widman's. It will run five blocks down Third Street to University Avenue with Roger Schmitz as grand marshal. He will be riding on the Malta Lodge float. That's the word from Bill Steckler. He's one of the organizers of this parade that is sponsored this year by the Masons.
Hockey on tap
The weekend arrives with UND Boosters meeting at noon today at the Alerus Center.... Many will be going on to the UND hockey playoffs with Michigan Tech tonight and Saturday at the Ralph.... And other fans are in Minneapolis where the hockey women will meet up again with Minnesota on Saturday... While the roads to Bismarck have been peppered with fans for the state high school basketball tournament....
Grand Forks Central High School is presenting, "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" through Saturday.... And the Healthy Living Expo is set for Saturday in the Alerus Center... With a North Dakota Short Course swim meet here, along with Baron's hockey tournament.... The Grand Forks Historical Society is featuring Ken Dawes in an "Entertaining History" talk Sunday afternoon at the Myra Museum... While the 9th annual "Down in the Valley" celebration will be held.
Sunday at Sharon Lutheran Church to benefit Valley Memorial Homes chaplaincy ministry....
Ask Marilyn
Q. Do you have a special interest in SADD?
A. Yes, I really do. I believe that when a community gets together to support such an organization everyone wins. The schools can't do it all. My own granddaughter, Carrie Sandstrom, is being honored this year as national SADD student of the year. She was active while at Century High School in Bismarck. She is now a freshman at UND.
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Kate, Becky, Bill
Cheerful persons of the week: Kate Kenna, Becky O'Keefe, Bill Otoole.
Reach Hagerty at mhagerty@gra.midco.net or (701) 772-1055.
