It's that time of year again and Safe Grad needs our help

I admit it. There are some things I would just rather not do, things that never make it onto my Top Ten Fun Ways to Spend My Time.

Cleaning bathrooms. Immunizations. Paying taxes. Mammograms.

Some I do for my health or the health of my family. Some I do for my financial security. But others I do to give back to my community, a repayment in kind for services or privileges I have received.

My family and I have benefited greatly from living here. Rewarding careers, great friends, clean air, a wonderful education for our daughters. We have a responsibility to give something back. So we vote in every election and we help out with what little time or money we can. We attend meetings, write letters (or checks), make phone calls, and buy candy bars from soccer kids.

It was for that reason that I was involved with Carson High's Safe Grad for several years. Some of you may remember that it was just a year ago when we thought the whole thing might not happen. But Gail Parsons, Vicki O'Shaughnessy, and I sighed heavily, gritted our teeth, and set about raising $17,000 in the few weeks before graduation. Fund-raising is another thing I hate doing.

Believe me, it wasn't fun. It was hard work. We had jobs and families who needed our attention. This wasn't the only thing on our plates.

But we did it for our kids. For your kids. Everyone's kids.

You see, about 13 years ago a series of three deaths of graduates in alcohol-related car accidents prompted the community, led by the Sheriff's Department, to act before any more young people died. The Sheriff's Department solicited donations from businesses, service clubs, and individuals to fund a trip to Great America to keep the graduates safe and sober while celebrating their commencement. It was the first such program in the area.

A few years into the program, the sheriff asked the Carson High PTSA to help with a party that would keep the kids together and safe even longer, starting at about 9 in the evening.

Now the PTSA is doing it all - food, swimming, a deejay, a mock casino, door prizes, and a trip to Great America. Over 24 hours of safe and sober fun and memories for about two-thirds of the graduating class. Parent chaperones keep watch.

The Sheriff's Department provides security to prevent any problems. In the middle of the night a fresh group of grownups arrives to chaperone the trip to Great America. The grads ride chartered buses to the park, spend the day, and return about midnight on Sunday.

The success of Safe Grad speaks volumes. Since it began, not one graduate has died on grad night. Not one. But this program is not just about preventing accidents involving kids. Drunk drivers have a bad habit of killing others as well.

It's hard to imagine anything worse than the death of one of my children, but a very close second would be the knowledge that my child had caused the death of another.

This year, Gail Parsons and Marta Garcia are co-chairing Safe Grad and are looking for a few good people. All the committees have chairmen but are in need of "worker bees," folks who can spare a few hours on graduation weekend (June 9-11) to decorate, chaperone, clean up, deal cards, or a dozen other small but necessary jobs. You

don't even have to have kids in school to help out. Marta and Gail (883-0467) want to hear from you!

They are also in need of more than a few dollars to make sure it all comes together for the class of 2000. At press time they are still several thousand dollars short of their goal.

If you appreciate the effort that hundreds of parents have gone to over the past 13 years, your financial support would be appreciated. Senior parents may consider this their reminder to send in their checks today. Checks may be sent to Carson High PTSA, Carson High, PO Box 603, Carson City 89702.

Finally, by committing a little time and effort to Safe Grad, by going the extra mile, we set an example for our children. We model the attitudes and behaviors we want our kids to have. Essentially, we put our money where our mouth is. We show our children that there is nothing more important to us than their health and safety. Nothing.

Safe Grad isn't just about a party for some kids. It's about a community working together to keep its children safe.

Lorie Smith Schaefer is a reading specialist at Seeliger Elementary School who, although she no longer has children at Carson High, will be blowing up balloons and whatever else is needed at the Community Center on June 10.