SHATTERED DREAMS

SANTA FE I. S. D.

Luckily, this is not a photo of a real crash scene. Shattered Dreams is an alcohol awareness education program. The goal is to save lives, while emphasizing this one thing...drinking and driving do not mix.

This major production is all volunteer. People from the school and community give their time and efforts to make the program the success that it is. A crash scene is enacted and local emergency techs, LifeFlight, police, fire and hospital responders play out their parts in delivering this realistic catastrophy.

Finally, after the dead are picked up by the hearse, and the barely living are sent to the hospital via ambulance, the students watching are returned to their seats in the classroom. But the day is not over. Every fifteen minutes, to emphasize how often a life is lost due to drunk driving, a living dead student is removed from the classroom by the angel of darkness. The faces of these volunteers are painted with white makeup and they return to their class. They are not allowed to speak (and no one is allowed to speak to them) for the remainder of the day. An obituary is read for each of these living dead, reminding those still alive of their accomplishments and personalities.


At an overnight retreat, all volunteers debrief and share feelings about the events of the day. Letters written to each other are read by students and their parents explaining what they would have missed if the event had been real.

Thanks to all of the staff at Santa Fe High School and volunteer students, as well as community members, Santa Fe Police and fire departments, emergency personel, and Life Flight. A special thanks to Lisa Byrd and Steve Rose. What a great message you have delivered to our community.