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reviewsDeming, NM planning third year of BuzzFreedom!
Deming, New Mexico BuzzFree Party participants show off door prizes provided by the local Wal-Mart and Kmart. Deming, New Mexico was a small town with a big prom problem. That's when Claudia Peņa turned to BuzzFreeProm. High school students from Deming, a city of about 18,000 in southwestern New Mexico, would drive 30 minutes to the Mexican border town of Palomas to drink and party at a local disco. The problems of underage drinking among Deming's 1,200 high schoolers were compounded by their driving home under the influence. Enter Ms. Peņa, the director of the DWI Prevention Program for Luna County. A 2004 graduate of New Mexico State University with a degree in criminal justice, Ms. Peņa was attracted to the promise of a safer prom for Deming's students presented on the BuzzFree Web site. Because of the small town nature of Deming, Ms. Peņa, a 2000 graduate of the local high school, asked BuzzFree founder Liza Orchard if she could customize the program for her city and local sponsors. Backed by state grants to enforce underage drinking laws, the result of their cooperation was the first Deming BuzzFree Party in 2005. The event, held both before and after the annual junior-senior prom, featured DJs and dancing, goodie bags and door prizes until the early morning hours. The alcohol- and drug-free party was open both to prom-goers and to those students who didn't go to prom. The event included party cups with the slogan "BuzzFree is the way to be." The kids' reaction? The party, with a luau theme, attracted almost 250 high school students, or more than half of all those who attended the school prom. The first party was such a success that over 400 juniors and seniors attended the 2006 Mardi Gras-themed BuzzFree Party, and plans are to make this year's event even bigger. The efforts of Ms. Peņa and her staff to organize a BuzzFree event received strong support that first year from 15 community sponsors, including local florists, dress shops and hair and nail salons. The merchants offered discounts to students who signed the BuzzFree Pledge and presented their BuzzFree IDs when shopping. An even bigger coup was the sponsorship of the local Wal-Mart and Kmart, which donated $500 each in prizes to be given away during the party, including DVDs, microwaves and TVs. Additionally, Ms. Peņa obtained food and drinks for the BuzzFree Party from the local supermarket, a Mexican restaurant and a soft drink distributor. The Deming BuzzFree Party is now entering its third year with some new activities planned, including the crowning of the first BuzzFree Prom King and Queen and a "Mexican-American Idol" karaoke contest. Ms. Peņa credits the DWI Prevention Program's "really good" relationship with local merchants and the media for getting the BuzzFree Party off the ground and sustaining the event. "We tried to get the whole community involved," she explained. Another important component of the BuzzFree Party's success has been cooperation from both local and state law enforcement agencies. While local police and sheriff's deputies keep tabs on at-risk teens during prom, the state troopers set up police lines on the road to and from Palomas, Ms. Peņa noted. The cooperation is paying off. Last year, the program learned that about 75 students planned an underage prom drinking party. Thanks to law enforcement pressure and the efforts of Ms. Peņa's staff and the high school to enlist as many kids as possible for the BuzzFree Party, the drinking party's "ringleader and all of his friends" showed up at the alcohol- and drug-free event instead, Ms. Peņa recounted. Her strategy for making the BuzzFree Party a success? Single-mindedness. Ms. Peņa and her staff patrol the halls of the high school ever day for months before prom persuading kids to sign the BuzzFree Pledge. They also present the BuzzFree Party plans to students at a pep rally prior to the event, and the day before the prom, juniors and seniors view the powerful BuzzFree video followed by a discussion of underage drinking and its consequences. The growth of Deming's BuzzFree Party has been tremendous. Last year, local sponsorship of the party grew to $2,800, not including the merchant discounts, which Ms. Peņa thinks may have approached that level. Ms. Peņa considered not having a BuzzFree party this year due to staffing limitations, but the students prevailed. They "made such an uproar" when they heard rumors the program was not being extended "that we had no choice" but to hold the party again, Ms. Peņa explained. With more sponsors, activities and adult volunteers backing the event each year, the Deming BuzzFree Party "is becoming the norm for Luna County," she added.
Read what participants have to say about BuzzFreeProm:
"Thanks again for providing the BuzzFree Prom event for us. I know it was very successful, as I heard many positive comments from the students. We also had a safe prom season. I appreciate all you did to help make it that way." "I have worked with teens for 23 years and have tried many approaches to help them be responsible and make good choices. BuzzFree Prom 2003 was super-effective for Jesuit in promoting the choice to be drug and alcohol free for Prom. 78% of our students signed up for the program and in an informal survey, we learned that 85% kept that pledge! I’m a huge proponent of the program – so much so that your idea will be incorporated into 35 other Jesuit high schools throughout the country for this coming Prom season. We could have about 15,000 kids making the commitment this year!" "I want to thank both you and BuzzFree Prom on behalf of all the students and staff members who had an enjoyable, smart and safe prom. We appreciate what you are doing to keep students safe. Please pass along our thanks to all of the sponsors who donated their services." |
 
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