More than 5,600 students from 39 area high schools will witness the harsh realities of drinking and driving at the 18th annual PARTY at the PAC today and Friday, with support from a Community Foundation Community Education grant and grants from several other funds.

Students attending the Prevent Alcohol and Risk-related Trauma in Youth presentation hosted by ThedaCare and the Fox Cities PAC will see wreckage from a drunk driving accident and hear real stories of people who chose to drink and drive and had to pay the consequences.

This year’s program features the story of Cara Erickson, who was convicted in 2000 of homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle after she struck another vehicle with a pickup truck and killed a 17-year-old boy in the other vehicle. Erickson served 15 months in jail and and 15 years of supervision under probation.

The reality-based approach to teaching young people about the consequesnces of choosing to drive while drunk has been presented to 55,000 high school students over the past 17 years.

Student actors will portray teenagers who have to deal with the tragic results of a night of partying and driving. Local firefighters, paramedics, police officers, doctors, nurses, coroners and judges appear in the show. The Community Foundation is among numerous sponsors of the highly regarded program. It has supported the event since 2006.

In addition to the Community Education grant, these funds awarded grants to this year’s Party at the PAC:

• John J. and Ethel D. Keller Fund
• Jewelers Mutual Charitable Giving Fund
• Gold Cross Ambulance Community Fund
• SECURA Insurance Companies Charitable Fund

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