On July 18, 2005, Amber Pizzo was walking home after watching a fireworks display from a friend’s house when she was struck and fatally injured by a car driven by a drunk driver. She was a week shy of her 27th birthday. She was a teacher. She was a friend. She was a daughter.
Through the loss, her family created the Amber Pizzo Memorial Foundation (link) to advocate for the educational needs of youth who will be leaders of tomorrow. Additionally, the foundation supports programs that promote responsible driving habits while teaching the deadly consequences of driving under the influence of alcohol and other mind-altering drugs. To that end, the foundation along with Prevention Links (link) have sponsored the fourth annual “Union County High School TV Public Service Announcement (PSA) Contest”.
The contest is an opportunity for students to send a positive message to their peers and communities that underage drinking does not have to be a part of their activities by creating, acting in, and producing a 30-second television PSA (Public Service Announcement). The contest, which was open to all Union County high school students, had over 40 entries which had six videos chosen as finalists. Roselle Park High School (RPHS) has two videos in the running to become 2013’s contest winners.
The first video, which is finalist #2, is titled “Don’t Be A Number” and was made by Christian Aguilera, Mirna Giron, Bianca Hernandez, Noor Meky, Dip Parikh, and Steven Solorzano.
Finalist #3, “It’s OK To Say No”, was made by Victoria Konczyski, Zach Lahr, Michal Mazewski, Riva Patel, Natalie Shirley, and Cayla Solomita.
The winning school will be awarded a $1,000 grant for their media department with the first runner-up receiving a grant of $500 and the second runner-up being award a $250 grant. The winning videos will be distributed free to all local television stations and be uploaded to the Amber Pizzo Foundation web site.
The videos help in continuing the mission started by Amber Pizzo to make each of our communities a safer, healthier, and better place for all to live while empowering people through education.
Anyone wishing to vote for RPHS students’ submissions “Don’t Be A Number” (Finalist #2) and “It’s OK to Say No” (Finalist #3) can do so by going to www.preventionlinks.org/psa (link).
Online voting ends on May 1st.