Events and Activities : Above the Influence Coalition Meeting

Submitted by Jennifer Ritch

The Benton County Above the Influence Coaltion will meet Welcome– Grab lunch! Members present: Garrison Reekers, Tammy Morrison, Stacey Farmer, Marissa Eldred, Kristin Kearns, Vicki Clair, Tammy Mims, Jim Thompson, Bob Hintz, Elise Healzer, Heather Harney, Patricia Miskimen, Nancy Farmer, Greg Walston, Ryan Davis, Elysia Cain, Jenn Ritch March Community Meeting · Stipend- we have $500 to spend for town halls. · Speakers- confirmed- Loel Fink, Garrison, Ryan Davis, Matt Wilden P.A., Youth??- Marissa or Vicki will serve as our youth expert · Prizes- what do we want to give away? Jim got us 4 lunch buffets from Pizza Hut, 2 $10 gift certs from Leon’s and a t-shirt, and we have money to purchase a few. We will look at gas cards, a ‘Night on the Town’ basket, something from Vinton? · Advertisement- postcards out around towns.- Tammy Morrison will take to the rec center, Marissa to the movie store, Pat to Shellsburg, Garrison took some for Belle Plaine businesses, Jim took some to Pizza Hut and Leon’s, and most members present took a stack for their office. The schools put the info in their newsletters, Vinton Unlimited sent the flyer to their members. Postcards are already out in Van Horne, at some places in Vinton, and will go to Blairstown and Atkins this week. Who can take some in Vinton? Belle Plaine? · Food- RonDaVoo catering?- It was suggested that Pizza Ranch would be much cheaper. We will look into both. April– Alcohol Awareness Month · Theme- “Life’s too short to be wasted.” · Ads- Ehlinger’s Ad? Palace Theater Ad, Farmers State Bank ad? – Also advertise with a booth at the HS, the bowling alley, and on cable companies. Coon Creek, USA and MediaComm. Pat will look into the Shellsburg Community Newsletter. · Other Activities- prom box stickers, static clings, postcards to parents, church bulletins, Sticker Shock Sticker Shock- Tammy Prescription Drug Drive- Elysia · On track, hoping for April, will be in Belle Plaine because we have law enforcement support there, but we still need a dump site. We have checked all BC hospitals, clinics, funeral homes, vets, grocery stores, etc for an incinerator. Hoping that Linn County will let us dispose of them with them. · DEA letter is drafted, we will have a license to do this event for 1 year in Belle Plaine. · Sherriff’s office flushes their medication, which we learned was not the proper disposal method. Hoping that this will help them dispose of theirs properly in the future as well. Summer Youth Summit · HACAP grant- Got the youth grant! We’ll be working this summer on a youth summit. Planning meeting soon. –Planning meeting scheduled for 3/22 at 8 am. o Marketing suggestions for the event- a parade float in the summer parades, Relay for Life team with t-shirts. · GRAA grant- Application came out, schools have been meeting with our grant writers to get the details figured out. Probably will hear about this grant in June/July. NEXT MEETING: Community Center, Belle Plaine April 15th 12-1 p.m. (lunch will be provided) RSVP

For anyone interested in helping to plan the youth summit this summer, our next planning meeting will be Tuesday, April 6 2010 at 9 a.m. at the ASAC office.