More than 2000 students die in the U.S. each year from alcohol-related crashes. Roberts Family Funeral Home, Forest Lake, has developed a program at Forest Lake High School to help prevent that number from growing here. Promoted by the school and underwritten by the business, the Positive Choices program combines information, technology and incentives to encourage students to make positive, life saving choices about alcohol use and driving. Students participate in the program by logging on to a website: www.positive-choices.org. There, they learn the facts about drinking and driving. They can experience through an online simulation how quickly a driver can lose control when he or she has been drinking. Every student who visits the site is encouraged to sign the "Positive Promise," stating they will remain alcohol and drug free. One local student, Jennifer McAllister, has been awarded a $250 college scholarship sponsored by Roberts Family for helping promote the Positive Choices program. To reward students for signing and keeping the Positive Promise, the website is awarding five $500 college scholarships nationally. Every student who signs the online promise is entered in the scholarship contest. If a parent also signs the online pledge, that student's name is entered twice. Scholarships will be awarded through a random drawing in May. "This is an important issue for our community," Roberts Family Funeral Director Tim Tarmann said. "If we can help make a difference for one student to make a positive choice when it comes to alcohol and driving, the program is successful."

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