Committee Updates Fall 2015
Advocacy Committee
The Advocacy Committee has been busy planning the October 20th Breakthrough Breakfast. Local DEA officer Matt Scheitlin will speak on heroin use in Cape Girardeau County. The event is sponsored by Southeast Missouri State University’s Office of Counseling and Disability Services and will be held at the Glenn Convocation Center at the River Campus. Invitations will be sent closer to the event.
The Committee is also gearing up to again work on the EPIC Schools Project. EPIC works to recognize area schools who go above and beyond in youth substance abuse prevention. Committee members are currently approaching area schools about applying for the designation. Applications are due October 9th.
The next Advocacy Committee meeting will be Tuesday, October 20 following the Breakthrough Breakfast.
For more information about how to get involved with the Advocacy Committee, contact Committee Co-Chairs, Donna Bullard at dbullard@jackson.k12.mo.us or Rachel Penny at rpenny@cityofcapegirardeau.org
Youth Outreach Committee
The Youth Outreach Committee is currently planning a Family Fun Day for late fall. Once the location has been confirmed, invitations and requests for volunteers will be sent. They are also exploring options for a Family Forum in January. The next Youth Outreach Committee meeting will be Wednesday, September 16th at 4pm at Bethel Baptist Church.
If you are interested in learning more about what the Youth Outreach Committee is doing, please contact committee chair Bethany Beggs at bbeggs@bbbsemo.org
Media Committee
The Media Committee is currently wrapping up the Steer Sober media campaign encouraging the community to know their options and to choose to “Steer Sober.” It highlights the average cost of a cab ride and compares it to the minimum cost of a first time DWI in our community. The commercial is currently being aired on Fox 23, My49, Fox Sports Midwest, Comedy Central, FX, History Channel, and MTV. Coasters with the names and telephone numbers of local cab companies were distributed to area bars. Hanging air fresheners with the same information are being distributed at community events.
EPIC will be participating in Jackson’s Oktoberfest Saturday, October 10th from 11am-9pm. The EPIC booth will be manned from 11am-6pm. EPIC Volunteers will hand out EPIC literature, Steer Sober air fresheners as well as offer Steer Sober bottled water for a donation. Volunteers are needed for this event so if you are available, please let us know!
EPIC has submitted the registration form for the 24th Annual Downtown Christmas Parade of Lights on Sunday, November 29th at 5pm. EPIC volunteers and Pals will walk the parade route passing out candy. If you are interested in participating, email coordinator@epicprevention.org or reply to this email.
If you are interested in learning more about what the Media Committee is doing and/or getting involved with this committee, please contact committee chair Cheryl Ellis at: cellisx2@yahoo.com
Resource Committee
The Resource Committee is working on three fundraisers including the EPIC Dog Wash, the EPIC Glow 5k and One Mile Fun Run and Off the Wall.
The first ever EPIC Dog Wash fundraiser will be held on September 27th at Cape Splash from 4-6pm. This event is being held in conjunction with the Annual Doggie Swim Day put on by by the City of Cape Girardeau Parks and Recreation Department. EPIC volunteers will be on hand to give dogs baths for a donation. All supplies for the event have been donated by Busch Pet Products & Care and Mississippi Mutts. We still need towels for the event so if you have any extra towels you can donate, please let us know!
EPIC’s second annual EPIC Glow 5k will also include a one mile fun run this year. This event is being planned for December 31st with the Fun Run beginning at 6pm on the Osage Trail behind the Osage Centre. The Fun Run will be immediately followed by the 5k. We have a room rented in the Osage Centre that can be used as a warming center prior to and immediately following the race. This is a great way to participate in a healthy, family friendly event on New Year’s Eve! Last year, there was even a furry four legged friend who participated in the race, so feel free to bring well behaved dogs as well. We are currently looking for people to sponsor the race and have a variety of sponsorship options available. We also need people to volunteer at the race as well as people to sign up to run or walk at the event.
The Resource Committee is in the beginning stages of planning the third annual Off the Wall. This event will likely be on a Friday in April. We hope to secure the location and set the date soon. In the meantime, the Committee would welcome any art donations to be auctioned off at next year’s event.
For more information about any of these fundraisers you can contact Resource Committee Chair Sarah at sarah.landers@hotmail.com.
Program Committee
The EPIC Program Committee has met 3 times. Our first order of business is to make the EPIC Dog wash Fundraiser a success. The Dog Wash will take place during the Doggie Swim Day held at Cape Splash on September 27th from 4pm-6pm. We are also working toward developing a mentor component to the PALS Program for the next session of PALS which we hope will begin in late September or early October. We also hope to start to develop some long term goals in how we can expand more asset building programs through EPIC. It is a very exciting committee to be on! Come join us at our next meeting on September 14th at 6:00pm. The meeting will be held at the Girardot Center.
For more information on what the Program Committee is doing, please contact committee chair Natalie Sandoval at nsandoval@semo.edu