Atkins High School Junior Jerrin Moore Wins Safe Sober 2026 T-Shirt Design Contest

On Wednesday, April 15th, attorneys David Daggett and Griff Shuler of Daggett Shuler Law appeared on Triad Today with Safe Sober 2026 T-shirt design contest winner Jerrin Moore to discuss the Safe Sober program and Jerrin’s creative process that led to his big win. Watch the segment with Jim Longworth:

Griff presented a T-shirt with Jerrin’s winning design as David explained the history and mission of the Safe Sober program:

“We’re in the 36th year of the Safe Sober program, which has become an annual event for high schools and students all across the Triad. It started as a basic program raising awareness for the dangers of drugs and alcohol for young people, but over the years, it has turned into a program of leadership, guidance, and direction. Students are proud to put on the shirts, wear them in public, and support each other.”

With 16,000 shirts pressed every year, administrators, teachers, students, principals, and parents across 10 counties all partake in this annual tradition to raise awareness of drug and alcohol use.

David then emphasized the impact of peer pressure on young people of the Triad and stressed the importance of positive peer pressure to encourage students to make the right choices: “We usually hear about negative peer pressure. If you can twist it into positive peer pressure, it’s the most powerful force among young people.”

Jerrin’s design went through multiple iterations, all with different themes and elements. “At least five or six of them,” Jerrin shared. “Some of the iterations came with a more kinetic design, some were more based around things like spheres and shapes.”

Among all iterations, Jerrin chose a design that “says ‘Safe Sober’”, incorporating the Safe Sober name and motto “The Right Choice,” and a red, purple, and yellow color palette, punctuated by squares and concentric wheels. “It almost resembles a car, in a way,” Jerrin explained. When Jim asked about his history of drawing and artistry, Jerrin replied, “I’ve been drawing as long as I can remember. I have notebooks and illustrations from when I was at least five.”

Jerrin, a junior at Atkins High School and Career Center, plans to study mechanical engineering at North Carolina A&T State University and become a mechanical engineer.

David highlighted the community support shown for Safe Sober during the surprise unveiling of Jerrin’s winning design. “In his classroom, we had the Mayor, the Chief of Police, the Forsyth County Sheriff, the Chair of the School Board, the Chair of the County Commissioners, and many other dignitaries who came because they understand young people are our future. We have to encourage and support them. That takes all of us,” David explains.

Round Table Discussion 

David and Griff joined Ogi Overman and Jim Longworth in the Round Table Discussion, sharing their opinions on the North Carolina Supreme Court’s decision to reject an order from a lower court to allocate funds to rural, underprivileged schools with less tax revenue. Ogi Overman, who opposes the Supreme Court’s decision and sees the perfect sense of helping poorer schools, asked: “Why did they do that?”

Griff, also opposing the decision, offered a solution: “One of the biggest things that could help rural counties is for the North Carolina legislature to pass a budget.”

“This shouldn’t be a court issue – this should be a public issue,” David added. “There should be an upswelling among the population that if we don’t have basic education across the board, our future society is going downhill. We need to have a good education system.”

Next, they discussed how the US Agriculture Secretary, Brooke Rollins, is being sued by federal employees after an Easter email she sent to thousands of employees contained a brief religious sermon, raising concerns about the separation of church and state.

Ogi Overman dismissed it as no big deal, calling it “much ado about nothing.” However, Griff argued that she did cross an ethical line in her position on the cabinet by signaling a religion from the state.

David disagreed. Having given presentations on the importance of church and state separation and why it’s essential for both, David was confident in his stance that this “isn’t that big a deal.”

Next, Jim shared that the Artemis II mission cost taxpayers over $4 billion, with the entire moon project adding up to $90 billion, and that a space mission is planned for next year, with North Carolina taxpayers alone paying $2 billion. Given the state of the economy and the rising cost of living, Jim asked David, Griff, and Ogi for their opinion on the importance of the space mission.

“I’ve been enamored with the space program since day one,” Ogi said. “I think it’s necessary. It’s going to happen. It’s got to happen.” David and Griff agreed, citing scientific, technological, economic, and industrial advantages of the space industry, which raise our standard of living and benefit all Americans.

The group discussed raising HOA fees, which may deter people from buying homes, and an HOA manager’s spending of dues on plastic surgery and luxury vacations. Jim proposed a law that could cap HOA fees. Ogi said he would not live in an HOA community, while Griff and David suggested that homeowners come together to discuss their fees and advocate for transparency from HOA managers.

Finally, Jim shared that 50% of Americans would like to fly to the moon, and David, Griff, and Ogi said they’d seize the opportunity if presented with it.

We Support the Triad Community

36 years later, with the mayor, police chief, sheriff, chair of the school board, chair of the county commissioners, and other dignitaries all joining in, the Safe Sober program continues to make a lasting impact among the young people and families of the Triad because they are our future.

About Daggett Shuler

The personal injury and disability lawyers at Daggett Shuler Law represent clients throughout North Carolina. Fill out the contact form below or call (336) 724-1234 for more information or a free, no-obligation consultation.