By Mark Caracciolo
On Wednesday, April 23, the local nonprofit Safety 4 Life held a Student Safety Retreat on lifesaving road and internet smarts at the Wellington Community Center. High school student ambassadors of Safety 4 Life spent time at various stations talking with experts about internet and road safety.
The event was introduced by Safety 4 Life’s Executive Director Tara Applebaum. It also included speeches from husband-and-wife duo Esther and Brian LaBovick of the LaBovick Law Firm and Capt. Nichole Addazio of the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office. Finally, Wellington Vice Mayor Tanya Siskind and Councilwoman Maria Antuña read a proclamation.
“Every year, around prom time, a beautiful young soul gets into a terrible auto accident and someone loses their life,” Brian LeBovick said during his speech. “We looked at that, and we thought, if we can get to the kids before that happens, we can save young lives.”
After a quick dinner, students rotated from station to station, hearing stories, donning goggles that simulate alcohol intoxication, listening to lectures, watching tutorials on how to stop bleeding with gauze and a tourniquet, and taking quizzes about driving and internet safety.
The retreat ended with a giveaway based on the quiz scores. The gifts ranged from aid in driving school, a yoga mat, free LaBovick merchandise and, most cheered of all, AirPods.
To learn more about the Safety 4 Life Foundation, visit www.safety4life.org.
