Back from the Governor’s Highway Safety Association conference!

August 28th, 2013

The Century Council exhibited at the Governors Highway Safety Association annual conference in San Diego, California, this week. GHSA’s 2013 Annual Meeting tackled the issue of how new technologies presents both challenges and opportunities for the highway safety community.

While at the conference, we talked with highway safety practitioners about our program offerings and how those professionals can use our programs in their respective states. Attendees also had opportunities to view our hardcore drunk driving and college binge drinking materials in addition to the latest from our Ask, Listen, Learn and IKnowEverything programs.

The GHSA also presented its 2013 highway safety awards to two individuals, who, according to a GHSA press release, “collectively have dedicated nearly seventy years to addressing behavioral safety issues,” and five programs focusing on the nation’s most pressing roadway safety problems.

The James J. Howard Highway Safety Trailblazer Award, the GHSA’s most prestigious honor, was awarded to Dr. James “Jim” Hedlund. Terry Pence, traffic safety section director for the Texas Department of Transportation’s traffic operations division, received the GHSA’s Kathryn J. R. Swanson Public Service Award. Both Dr. Hedlund and Mr. Pence’s work on important road-safety issues, including the national issue of impaired driving, has made a tremendous impact on not only the traffic safety community, but also the whole of our nation’s roadways.

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In addition to the two individual achievement awards, five programs from across the country were presented with the GHSA’s Peter K. O’Rourke Special Achievement Award for outstanding highway safety accomplishments during the previous calendar year. More information about these award-winning and lifesaving programs can be found here.

We applaud and congratulate all of the respective award recipients on their hard work, and we are grateful for the dedication that all highway safety practitioners continue to show toward these important issues.

An Inspirational Ask Listen Learn program with Congressman Tony Cárdenas in beautiful Sun Valley CA!

March 9th, 2013

Today Ask Listen Learn went from East Coast to West Coast to visit Sun Valley Middle School in San Fernando, California. The kids at Sun Valley Middle School were all super excited to welcome Ask Listen Learn partner Congressman Tony Cárdenas to their school to talk about his childhood and the smart choices he made that helped him become so successful. Congressman Cárdenas shared his inspirational story and reminded kids that they need to believe in themselves and find positive role models in their lives that will help support them through those tough middle school and high school years. Congressman Cárdenas talked about how dealing with peer pressure is sometimes very hard but that those kids who work hard in school, believe in themselves, and say no to underage drinking can do anything they set their mind to.

Congressman Cárdenas spent lots of time answering questions from all the 8th graders. The kids wanted to know everything from what it was like to meet President Obama to the Congressman’s advice for getting through adversity. One thing Congressman Cárdenas reminded kids to do was to talk to their parents, their grandparents, teachers at the school, coaches, and other positive role models about their aspirations and the peer pressure they face. He said to thank those people who believe in you because they will help you accomplish your goals. Congressman Cárdenas even talked about a particular teacher he had in high school that believed in him when not a lot of other people did. Having that support helped the Congressman believe in himself and ultimately get into one of the best engineering schools in the country and even make Dean’s List there!

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After hearing Congressman Cárdenas ‘ inspirational story the kids had a fabulous time playing the Ask Listen Learn game. They even started chanting the names of the kids running on the game to cheer on them on! Thanks so much to Sun Valley Middle School, Principal Lee, and the amazing Congressman Cárdenas. We not only had a lot of fun but we also were all inspired to take the pledge to say YES to healthy lifestyle and NO to underage drinking.

Bryan Clay’s Fit4Fall 5K: A great success!

November 17th, 2012

This weekend, the Ask, Listen, Learn team was hard at work in Glendora, California for Bryan Clay’s 2ndannual Fit4Fall 5k Run! Last year was a huge success with over 300 parents and kids running the race, but this year blew the last one out of the water. Even though it was pouring rain throughout the day over 700 people signed up and ran the race this year. The race organizers even had to turn people away at the registration tables!

And not only did every single one of the 700 runners get an Ask, Listen, Learn bag filled with healthy snacks and water bottles, but the Ask, Listen, Learn team was in full force at a booth near the start and finish line talking to parents and kids about saying YES to a healthy lifestyle and NO to underage drinking by playing the game and giving Ask, Listen, Learn sunglasses to hundreds of kids!

It was a ton of fun cheering on all of the runners (including our very own Ask, Listen, Learn Ambassadors Bryan Clay and Mallory Weggemann) as they ran. And even through all of the rain people were smiling and getting Fit for Fall with their friends and families! It’s always great seeing so many people coming out to say YES to a healthy lifestyle by running and staying active. You couldn’t ask for a better Saturday activity!

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Thank you, Emerson Middle School!

April 11th, 2012

Today the Ask, Listen, Learn team was at Emerson Middle School in Los Angeles, CA with Superstar Bryan Clay. Even though the rainy weather delayed the assembly a little, the 300 students were happy to play our Xavix game and answer questions about healthy lifestyle choices.

Bryan spoke about the importance of making good decisions while you’re young in all aspects of life because what you do now affects who you’ll be when you’re older. He explained that he had a tough life growing up in Hawaii without much inspiration to be anything but a convenience store cashier, but he soon found passion to be something greater when he started running track.

The students had a ton of questions for Bryan about the Olympics and what he was like in middle school, but the one that really delighted the crowd was when a young boy asked Bryan, “What’s the BEST decision you’ve ever made?” Bryan replied, “Marrying my wife.”…Awww!

Thank you to Bryan and Emerson Middle School for a great event today! We hope all the students remember to make good decisions by saying YES to a healthy lifestyle, and NO to underage drinking!

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Apolo Anton Ohno Reaches Los Angeles!

March 9th, 2010

Apolo Anton Ohno visited El Rodeo Middle School yesterday to spread the message of Ask, Listen, Learn: Kids and Alcohol Don’t Mix.

The kids of El Rodeo Middle School loved seeing Apolo, and enthusiastically played the Ask Listen Learn interactive activities, learning about the dangers of underage drinking as they did so. They also heard an inspiring message from Apolo Anton Ohno, who urged them to stay focused in order to succeed, and to always feel comfortable with themselves.

Los Angeles is the third stop in Apolo’s tour. So far, he has visited Denver and New York. Today, Apolo Anton Ohno will be bringing our message to students in Chicago, at Smyth Elementary School. From there, Apolo will be wrapping up his tour in his native Seattle on Friday!

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