(OTTAWA, Sept. 17, 2012) – “Split second decisions last a lifetime.” Lately, the acronym YOLO (you only live once) has been garnering media attention as individuals use it as an excuse to engage in risky activities. Turning the meaning of this message around is the basis for the Is It Worth It nationwide teen driver safety campaign developed by Parachute ( www.parachutecanada.org) and funded by State Farm ( http://www.statefarm.ca/) and the Ottawa Foundation. The program gets its start in Ottawa on Sept. 20, 2012 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Shenkman Arts Centre.

Getting behind the wheel while impaired, speeding or texting while driving can change your life forever. The key is you only live once! Teens need to learn to make smart decisions while driving so they can continue to live their lives to the fullest.

On Sept. 18, 2012, students from Ottawa-area schools will be trained to run the Is It Worth It? campaign and multi-media competition in their schools. The campaign involves students running awareness activities of their choice (postering, events, contests, classroom presentations) around the issue of teen driver safety. The multi-media competition offers more than $5,000 in prizes to the best student-created public service announcements. The goal of the PSAs is to inform and motivate people to be more aware of the issues of distracted and dangerous driving and to change young drivers’ behaviour. Last year’s winning PSAs can be viewed at www.isitworthit.ca.

Media are welcome to attend part of the training session or interview Parachute staff who facilitate the program. Please contact Valerie Smith (416-274-6571) to schedule interviews or RSVP your attendance at the training.

About Parachute

Parachute is a national, charitable organization dedicated to preventing injuries and saving lives. Parachute officially came into being in July 2012 and unites the former organizations of Safe Communities Canada, Safe Kids Canada, SMARTRISK and ThinkFirst Canada into one leader in injury prevention. Parachute’s injury prevention programming and advocacy efforts are designed to help Canadians reduce their risks of injury while enjoying long lives lived to the fullest. For more information, please visit www.parachutecanada.org.

About State Farm

State Farm® has been serving Canadians since 1938. It is the fourth largest auto insurer, and seventh largest property and casualty insurer in Canada. State Farm has over 540 Canadian agents and 1,300 employees that provide insurance and financial services, including mutual funds, life insurance, vehicle loans, critical illness, disability, home and auto insurance to our customers in Ontario, Alberta and New Brunswick. For more information, please visit www.statefarm.ca.

Contact

Valerie Smith (Manager, Youth Programs)
Parachute
T: 416-274-6571
F: 416-596-2712
vsmith@parachutecanada.org
www.parachutecanada.org

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