Career Center and Parkland High School Junior, Caitlin Bennett, Wins Safe Sober T-Shirt Design Contest

The Winston-Salem, North Carolina based nonprofit, Safe Sober is pleased to announce that Caitlin Bennett, a junior at Career Center High and Parkland High, has won the Safe Sober T-Shirt Design Contest for 2022.

At a surprise presentation at Career Center High, the winning design was unveiled. Caitlin was presented with the first shirt off the press, framed for display. Honored guests joining attorneys Griff Shuler and David Daggett included Winston-Salem Mayor, Allen Joines: Winston-Salem/Forsyth County School System Superintendent, Tricia McManus; other local dignitaries; and media.

High School junior Caitlin Bennett will use the $1000 scholarship to support her future academic studies, as she is currently in the process of visiting colleges and universities. Safe Sober honored Caitlin’s classroom with a $1000 grant. Caitlin’s digital media arts teacher, Mr. Mark Underwood, will use the grant money for supplies for his classroom to ensure that his students have all the tools they need to succeed in class.

Safe Sober is a non-profit organization co-founded in 1991 by David Daggett of Daggett Shuler, Attorneys at Law and was originally known as Safe Sober Prom Night. In recent years, the program has evolved into “Safe Sober,” which not only focuses on raising awareness of the dangers of drug and alcohol use among young people, but also embraces and encourages the entire Triad community to make healthy decisions.

Now celebrating in its 32^nd year and expanding, Safe Sober encourages high school students to make the most of their young lives throughout their high school experience and beyond. The program is currently active in 50 high schools across 10 counties throughout the greater Triad region of North Carolina. To date, more than 600,000 students have been touched by Safe Sober.

As part of the Safe Sober program, Triad students submit their own designs for consideration to be printed on the front of thousands of t-shirts. These shirts are given to area high school and middle school students as well as to the community at large. Caitlin is the sole winner of the competition selected from over 150 contest entries from all across the Triad. She received a $1,000 scholarship and has her name is printed on the back of each t-shirt.  Schools have historically incorporated these t-shirts into their prom and graduation festivities, to encourage seniors to be safe and sober through positive peer pressure during this busy and pressure-filled spring season.

“It’s hard to believe the Safe Sober program continues to go strong after 32 years,” said attorney David Daggett. “The excitement is the same as the first year. Many thanks to all the dignitaries and members of the community who join us in wrapping our arms of encouragement and support around our young people. They are our future!”