FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 2, 2009
Contact Information:
Angela Conover, Director of Media Marketing & Community Relations
Phone: 973.467.2100, ext. 25
E-mail: conover@drugfreenj.org

Winners of the 3rd Annual “Listen-Up Parents to the Dangers of Underage Drinking” Announced

POINT PLEASANT -- The Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey, in cooperation with the New Jersey Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control announced the winners of the 3rd Annual “Listen-Up Parents to the Dangers of Underage Drinking” Radio PSA initiative on June 24, 2009. The winning PSAs were also unveiled at this event.

The Listen-Up initiative targets middle school students and challenged students in the 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th grade students to create a script for a 30-second radio public service announcement that talked directly to parents about the dangers of underage alcohol use. The winning students produced and starred in the radio spots, which were produced in English and in Spanish, and will be distributed to stations in the New York, New Jersey, and Philadelphia media market.

This year, two winning English scripts were selected. Joe Scardilli, a fifth-grader from the Frank K. Hehnly School in Clark, wrote one script and Karen Martinez, Shivali Govani, Mikhaela Jean Leeho and Lynette DeLeon, all seventh graders at the Perth Amboy Upper School, wrote the other. The Perth Amboy Upper School’s entry will also be translated into Spanish. The students participated in the recording of the radio spots.

Click to hear PSA's

Photo and interview opportunities will be available upon request.

Best known for its statewide anti-drug advertising campaign, the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey is a private not-for-profit coalition of professionals from the communications, corporate and government communities whose collective mission is to reduce demand for illicit drugs in New Jersey through media communication. To date, more than $50 million in broadcast time and print space has been donated to the Partnership’s New Jersey campaign, making it the largest public service advertising campaign in New Jersey’s history. Since its inception the Partnership has garnered over 50 Advertising and Public Relations Awards from National, Regional & Statewide Media Organizations.