CLEARLAKE – Turning a family tragedy into a chance to save lives has earned a local community leader special accolades.
Last week, Clearlake City Councilmember Judy Thein received the California Friday Night Live Partnership's Super Star Adult Ally awards for her work to reduce drinking and driving.
She and three other award winners in youth policy, along with four people in the education category, were honored at a ceremony Jan. 23 at the State Capitol building in Sacramento.
The awards honored “those that have made significant contributions in support of positive youth development and well being of young people of the state.”
Thein's 36-year-old daughter, Kellie, died in a car crash caused by a drunk driver in December 2005.
In the difficult two years since her daughter's death, Thein has become an advocate in the fight against drinking and driving. She is a founding member of Team DUI, a group of local individuals and agencies who not only fight drinking and driving but underage drinking.
Thein said her personal tragedy transformed into a drive for justice for others. “This force set me on a journey to help our youth and adults understand how the consequences of harmful choices of driving under the influence can affect many people. It is gratifying and heartfelt to see that this journey grew into a powerful movement which brought forth the birth of Team DUI.”
She added, “Team DUI’s devotion in working towards keeping our youth and innocent people safe, addressing underage drinking, is a tribute to the honor of this award.”
Underage drinking is a serious problem in Lake County and in rural Northern California as a whole, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Health and Human Services reported that between 2002 and 2004, California's Region 1 – which includes Lake County and 13 other Northern California counties – had the highest percentage of any other state region when it came to 12 to 17 year olds using alcohol and binge drinking.
Carrie White, a prevention specialist with the county's Alcohol and Other Drug Services (AODS), and a fellow member of Team DUI, nominated Thein for the award. AODS Director Laura Solis collaborated with White on the nomination.
White is also the county coordinator for Friday Night Live, which has six chapters and about 500 students participating locally, she said.
Friday Night Live tries to change social norms by teaching children leadership and advocacy, said White, which includes the idea that they do have a voice and can make a difference.
When Friday Night Live sent out a request seeking nominations of people who have made a big difference when working for youth in their communities, “I had to nominate Judy for all the work she's done,” White said.
Beside Thein's work as part of Team DUI, which has given presentations at schools and town halls, White said Thein also was deserving for her advocacy of underage drinking ordinances. The cities of Clearlake and Lakeport passed such ordinances – or “social host” regulations – last year, with the county currently looking at its own ordinance this year, said White.
White said those ordinances have “a huge impact on our kids.”
None of those steps forward would have happened, said White, had Thein not been as passionate as she is about preventing DUIs and underage drinking.
She added, “I just felt it in my heart that I needed to nominate her for that. She's taken a personal tragedy and has just turned it around for the good of the whole community.”
White said Thein's winning the award is “a huge deal.”
“If anybody deserves it I think Judy does,” White said.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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