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Community Corner

Jack's PACT Wants Your Help

The organization is seeking feedback and volunteers at its first meeting tonight.

Jack's PACT (Positive Alternatives for Communities & Teens), a new organization aimed at preventing drunk driving, will hold its first public meeting today, at 6 p.m., at the . The group invites teens and adults to sit in, volunteer, or provide suggestions for spreading the PACT's message.

Kelly Pearsall and her daughter, Samantha Pearsall Mueller, started the organization after 16-year-old Jack Pearsall, Kelly's son and Samantha's brother, was hit and killed by a drunk driver last summer. Jack's PACT is the Pearsalls' way of using their loss to positively affect the lives of others.

“When my brother died,” Samantha says, “my entire perspective on living changed. I guess when someone so close to you and so young dies because of a tragedy like this, it becomes both a huge challenge and the motivation for you to live every day being the best you can.

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“It is absolutely possible to use tragedies to create good. In fact, that seems to be how so much good work is done in the world. My very favorite quote is from Ghandi, 'Be the change you wish to see in the world.' For me this means, trying to live a full, vibrant life in honor of my brother Jack who cannot. It means trying to make positive changes so that others maybe won't have to go through what we did.”

Jack's PACT has already begun its mission, sponsoring its first Run Jack Run event this July 4, and securing dozens of signatures from people pledging never to drive while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. The Pearsalls have also begun partnering with other local organizations who share their goals.

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“The whole idea is to work together with groups and people in the community who are already aiming to do some of the things Jack's PACT hopes to accomplish,” says Samantha. “By collaborating with others, we think everyone will be able to do a better job of delivering their mission to provide healthy, engaging, and fun alternatives to young people and reduce drunk driving and other risky behaviors.”

The Pearsalls are especially interested in hearing the thoughts of their primary audience, young people. Samantha has already solicited suggestions for fun, safe activities the PACT could sponsor, which would provide teens with alternatives to dangerous activities. The list of possible activities already includes sports tournaments, movie nights, field trips to water parks, skiing destinations, or Boston, and more. The Pearsalls are hoping to add even more to the list today.

“At the meeting,” Samantha says, “we will be doing a lot of brainstorming, which is why we would love for lots of high school aged kids to be there. From there, we will come up with some action steps, how to make some of these things the young people want actually happen.”

The Pearsalls are approaching their mission with optimism tempered by pragmatism.

“Drunk driving is a huge problem, as is substance abuse on the Cape and really everywhere,” Samantha says. “These are all things we want to address, but in a proactive, positive and realistic way. And if in any small way Jack's PACT can help to reduce substance abuse in this community, make even just one person think first before getting behind the wheel drunk, or maybe even prevent another fatal drunk driving accident... then we have truly accomplished something. We know we are not going to change the world, but we won't get anywhere if we don't aim to change something.”

For more on Jack's PACT, visit www.jackspact.org, or www.facebook.com/JacksPACTFund.

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