Hillsdale, Michigan – April 1, 2025
The Hillsdale County Community Foundation Youth Advisory Committee, Y.O.U.T.H. (Youth Opportunities Unlimited Throughout Hillsdale) is participating in Distracted Driving Awareness Month.
Distracted driving hit close to home for the Y.O.U.T.H. Advisory Council when one of their own members experienced a life-changing incident in July 2024. This member was traveling with his family when a distracted driver crossed the center line and struck their vehicle head-on. While he walked away with severe bruising, his mother and brother sustained serious injuries requiring surgeries and hospital stays. Tragically, their family dog lost its life in the crash.
April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month, a nationwide effort to highlight the dangers of distracted driving and prevent avoidable deaths and injuries on our roadways. This month, the Y.O.U.T.H. Advisory Council is urging everyone to take steps to make our roads safer:
- Turn off your phone while driving.
- Reduce your speed and stay alert.
- Wear your seat belt at all times.
- Designate a sober driver when necessary.
- Take the pledge to drive distraction-free. Commit to staying focused behind the wheel by signing the pledge at https://www.nsc.org/faforms/ddam-pledge.
Local and national organizations, including the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the National Safety Council, the Michigan State Police, the Hillsdale County Sheriff, and local law enforcement agencies, are supporting campaigns to raise awareness and end distracted driving.
This April, the Y.O.U.T.H. Advisory Council is spreading the message that distracted driving is not worth the risk. Their slogan, “The car can be replaced. You can’t!”, will feature prominently in their radio and social media campaigns. The Y.O.U.T.H. members wrote and recorded radio commercials that will air on WCSR 92.1 FM and 99.5 FM The DALE throughout April.
Additionally, the Council has created a powerful media campaign showcasing the dangers of distracted driving. As part of this initiative, they have set up an impactful month-long display at the Jonesville Walmart, featuring informational signage and a car wrecked in a distracted driving crash.
Together, let’s commit to ending distracted driving. For more information about Distracted Driving Awareness Month or to get involved, please visit www.abouthccf.org.
The Hillsdale County Community Foundation Y.O.U.T.H. was established in October of 1991. The Y.O.U.T.H. Advisory Council has an ongoing program for studying the assets, needs, and concerns of the young people of Hillsdale County. Y.O.U.T.H. has a special endowment fund, initially made possible by a challenge grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, to make available grant dollars to benefit and involve young people in Hillsdale County.
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2024-2025 Y.O.U.T.H. Advisory Council:
Carly Beach (North Adams-Jerome), Sam Brown (Hillsdale Academy), Riley Coupland (Hillsdale Academy), Ben Draper (Will Carleton Academy), Noah Eichler (Litchfield), Eve Goodlife (Homeschool), Daytona Grant (Waldron), Leah Headley (Reading), Harper James (Jonesville), Hayden Ladd (Homeschool), David Maier (Will Carleton Academy), Ava Mallar (Pittsford), Julia Mandrelle (Jonesville), Riley McCumber (Pittsford), LJ Moyer (Litchfield), Brandy Neill (Camden-Frontier), Kate Nolan (Hillsdale), Keegan Oxley (Hillsdale), Ava Potter (Reading), Caroline Roberts (Hillsdale Academy), Kara Salyer (Camden-Frontier), Alec Shamplo (Waldron), Marissa Todd (North Adams-Jerome), Emily Toner (Jonesville), Cheyanne Welch (Hillsdale).
Contact:
Mindy Eggleston, Program Director, Hillsdale County Community Foundation, (517) 439-5101, m.eggleston@abouthccf.org