Courageous Persuaders program harnesses creativity to deliver
youth-to-youth message about dangers of underage drinking
TROY, Mich., Jan. 31 /PRNewswire/ -- The Detroit Auto Dealers
Association (DADA) is reminding students that the deadline for entry into
the Courageous Persuaders program video competition is approaching quickly.
The deadline for entry is February 15, 2008. The announcement was made by
DADA President Douglass Fox.
Courageous Persuaders is a competition-based scholarship program that
invites high school students to create a 30-second television commercial
about the dangers of underage drinking. The commercials are targeted toward
middle school-aged children, with the winning entries aired on television
and via streaming video on the http://www.courageouspersuaders.com website.
Additionally, Michigan's Secretary of State (SOS), the Honorable Terri Lynn
Land, announced recently that winning entries will be shown in SOS branch
offices statewide.
"The DADA is proud to take a leading role in this program that reaches
our middle-schoolers at an extremely sensitive time in their lives, a time
when they are most impressionable," said Fox. "The fact that the message
comes from high school students, who could hopefully be their role models
for the future, is a key factor in the success of the program. And the
success will ultimately be measured in reduced incidents of underage
drinking."
The program was created in 2000 by Oakland County District Judge
Michael A. Martone and John Barczyk, a local McCann-Erickson advertising
executive. In 2007, the DADA became the primary sponsor and administrator
of the Courageous Persuaders program through its DADA Education Foundation.
Last year, the contest drew 624 entries from students in 47 states.
Winning entries are eligible for the following scholarship awards:
-- Grand Prize: $3,000
-- First Place: $1,500
-- Second Place: $1,000
-- Third Place: $500
Additionally, special awards are also presented by Courageous
Persuaders partners:
-- USA Today Award: $2,000 -- chosen by the USA Today Detroit staff from
among the most persuasive commercials, as judged by middle school
students
-- USA Today Courageous Leader Award -- presented to a special teacher for
his or her extraordinary contribution to the Courageous Persuaders
program
-- New York festivals: $2,000 -- chosen based on the commercial's
effectiveness to inform and inspire
-- Adcrafter Award: $2,000 -- presented to the commercial that conveyed
factual information about the dangers of alcohol use in the most
persuasive and creative manner
-- Lindsey Renee Cianciolo Family Memorial Scholarship: $3,000 -- two
$1,500 Michigan-based scholarship winners
-- State Farm Insurance: $1,000 -- awarded to a Michigan-based entry
-- American Red Cross, Southeast Michigan Chapter: $500 -- awarded to a
Michigan-based entry
Winners are selected after several rounds of judging. During the first
round, a panel from the Detroit Auto Dealers Association views the entries
and identifies the top 60 contenders. Those entries are then reviewed by
students at middle schools, who complete questionnaires. Results of the
questionnaires determine the winners.
To view the winning commercials and/or enter the 2008 competition,
visit the newly designed Courageous Persuaders website at
http://www.courageouspersuaders.com, or contact the Detroit Auto Dealers
Association office at (248) 643-0250.
About Detroit Auto Dealers Association (DADA)
The DADA was founded in 1907 by 17 local car dealers, and has grown to
more than 250 member car and truck dealers who donate their time and
resources to a host of community activities. Currently, the DADA members
collectively employ more than 16,500 people. Many members participate in
the NAIAS, LLC, which is responsible for the production of the North
American International Auto Show (NAIAS). The most significant charitable
venture of the DADA is the annual NAIAS Charity Preview, which has raised
more than $44 million for children's charities in southeastern Michigan
since 1976. To find out more about Detroit Auto Dealers Association, visit
http://www.dada.org. To find out more about the North American International Auto
Show, visit http://www.naias.com.
About the DADA Education Foundation
The mission of the DADA Education Foundation is to promote excellence
in education through quality programs and leadership. In addition to the
Courageous Persuaders program, the Foundation also administers Automotive
Education Day at the NAIAS, the NAIAS Poster Contest, and coordinates the
Automotive Youth Educational Systems in Michigan, an industry-wide program
to enhance a student's auto technician education.
SOURCE Detroit Auto Dealers Association
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Related links:
http://www.courageouspersuaders.com
http://www.dada.org http://www.naias.com
CONTACT:
Sandy Herp of Detroit Auto Dealers
Association, +1-248-283-5138, sherp@dada.org
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