A walk for healthy choices in Rockville Centre

More than 250 students, parents, school staff and educators were joined by village officials and many from the law enforcement community on a beautiful Sunday morning to participate in the Substance Use Awareness Walk. They had come to the Skelos Sports Complex to make a clear statement to the youth of Rockville Centre: Make healthy choices — stay alcohol and drug-free.

“It’s extremely important that you’re all here today,” Mayor Mary Bossart told the crowd. “I’m proud of your effort to come…by making this choice, you’re making the right choice.”

SADD clubs from South Side high and middle schools, and each of the district’s elementary schools were represented and members pledged to stay drug and alcohol-free.

“By walking you’re helping to spread awareness and are part of the solution,” said SSHS’s SADD chapter president Kyle Holzgruber, who mentioned the club’s work to spread knowledge and fight drinking, drug addiction, suicide and homophobia.“Feel confident in making healthy choices,” he said. “You’re not alone in making drug, alcohol and tobacco-free choices. Delay use and prevent substance abuse. Talk to prevent your teen from becoming a fatal statistic. Change the culture of acceptance of teens drinking in our high school and community.”

Tom Bucaria, who represented the Boy Scouts and the Rockville Centre Little League, offered these words of advice: “Don’t let criminals and jerks who don’t love you decide what right and what’s cool. You decide what’s ‘cool.’ Mention what you did this morning — it helps grow the organization and develop the message.”

The annual walk was sponsored by Rockville Centre’s Drug and Alcohol Task Force, school district, Council of PTAs, Youth Council, village and Confide Counseling.