Every 15 Minutes

Every few years the high schools in our city take turns hosting an "Every 15 Minutes" event. When I was in high school the SADD (Students Against Drunk Driving) group had a day where volunteers wore "victim" shirts or ribbons and they couldn't talk all day to simulate the school without them. On a side note, I was one of the silent students my junior year, Jerry recalls it with fond memories...as that was probably the only day in the last 18+ years that I didn't speak to him! :)

Well, Every 15 Minutes puts our little silent students to shame! They go all out. This production takes two days. The whole community works together to really simulate a drunk driving accident and the aftermath. They close down a road by the high school, a wrecked car is brought in, the fire department attempts a rescue, the victims are taken to the hospital...the REAL hospital. Someone is arrested for drunk driving by the police. Parents are visited at home or work and notified by a police officier their children have been killed or arrested. A local funeral home assists and the next day there are funeral services. The drunk driver is booked by the real District Attorney and they have a mock trial with a real judge.

In addition to the "main" characters, they pull a student out of class every 15 minutes as well. They become the "walking dead" during the school day. Their parents are notified of their death as well. The walking dead along with all the other victims go to a hotel and spend the night so everyone thinks of them as "gone".

It really is amazing! It takes so much time to put together, and costs so much, that they only do it every 4 years at Roz's school. If you want to read more about the program click here. There are some pictures at the site and an explantion of what they do.