The 25th Annual Protect & Serve Tavern will take place Saturday, December 14 from noon – 4:00 p.m. at the Great Lakes Mall located at 7850 Mentor Avenue in Mentor, Ohio. Hosted by the Lake County Crime Prevention Taskforce, the Lake County Association of Chiefs of Police and the Lake County Safe Communities Coalition, this event will remind everyone to drive sober this holiday season.
Local police chiefs, as well as Judge John Trebets, Judge Marisa L. Cornachio, Judge Colleen A. Falkowski, Judge Pat Condon, Judge Eugene A. Lucci, and Representative John Rogers, will act as bartenders, serving non-alcoholic drinks and snacks to mall shoppers. Due to many generous donations received from local businesses, this event is free to the public. Local police departments will invite shoppers to try the “Fatal Vision” goggle demonstration, which mimics alcohol impairment. Free recipes featuring tasty non-alcoholic beverages created by Lake County police departments will also be available.
“To date in 2019, of the six fatal crashes, five had confirmed alcohol involvement. The Protect & Serve Tavern is one of the many ways we work with our local law enforcement to remind the community to celebrate safely this holiday season,” said Haley Russo, Coordinator of the Lake County Safe Communities Coalition and Lake County General Health District Health Educator.
This holiday season, the Lake County Crime Prevention Taskforce, the Lake County Association of Chiefs of Police and the Lake County Safe Communities Coalition are teaming up with the United States Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to remind all drivers about the dangers of drinking and driving. With the holiday festivities and extra office parties taking place, it is essential to plan a sober ride home before the events begin. This holiday season, as you head out for a night of merrymaking, remember: Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.
Here are a few simple tips to insure that everyone has a fun evening and gets home safely:
- Plan a safe way home before festivities begin;
- Before drinking, designate a sober driver;
- If you are impaired, take a taxi or call a sober friend or family member for a ride home;
- If you happen to see an impaired driver on the road, call #667 to reach law enforcement;
- If you know someone who is going to drive or ride while impaired, take their keys and help them find arrangements to get where they are going safely.
Let’s make sure everyone has a safe and happy holiday season!