FLF&M Helps Third Grade "Walk Like Egyptians"

Pharaohs, queens, mummies and the like gathered for Egyptian Day at Hawk's Rise Elementary School. The third graders dressed the part well and learned about pottery, ancient foods, weaving and made Nile River models. FLF&M partnered with the school and sponsored sessions on bartering. Firm Administrator Sandra Tate led a discussion and an activity where the children bartered candy.

The lessons hit home with the kids as they learned that bartering is often easy but sometimes difficult. Mrs. Hadley, one of the third grade teachers said, "It was so nice of the firm to be involved in this. We appreciate the donation of time and supplies. The session was very effective and fun, too."

Hal Lewis Inducted Into Sons of the American Revolution

Firm partner Hal Lewis and Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice Harry Anstead were recently inducted as new compatriots into the Tallahassee Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR). In order to become eligible for this prestigious honor, both Lewis and Anstead had to provide legal documentation showing that they are direct descendants of soldiers who fought for the American colonies against the British during the Revolutionary War. Actually, Mr. Lewis is the great (x 5) grandson of two American patriots: Joseph Hardee, who lost a leg while fighting in the battles of Guilford Courthouse and Eutaw Springs in 1781, and David Harris, who fought against the redcoats in several battles in 1780. Mr. Lewis is proud of his American heritage, and he hopes that others who are eligible will join him and Chief Justice Anstead in the SAR.

BATTLE of the BELTS

Seat belts are the most effective way to avoid death or serious injury in a vehicular crash. And, despite the numerous campaigns to increase safety belt use, we at FLF&M continue to see all too often the tragic results of not buckling up. In Leon County, 68% of the people who died in passenger vehicle crashes in 2001 were not buckled up. Seat belt use is an especially strong concern when it comes to young people. Motor vehicle crashes are the number one killer of teenagers 15 to 20 years old across the country. In 2001, 42,797 teenaged drivers were involved in traffic crashes in Florida, with 30,129 teens injured and 282 killed. Last year, Tallahassee felt the heart-wrenching pain of losing six high school students under the age of 20 in vehicular crashes.

To increase safety belt use by young people in our area, FLF&M was proud to partner with the Tallahassee Police Department for the 2002 "Battle of the Belts." The program aimed to educate the community, especially high-school age drivers, about the life-saving importance of wearing seat belts. Battle of the Belts is a friendly competition between five local public high schools, Florida High and FAMU High School to challenge the students, whether drivers or passengers, to wear their seat belts.

Officers from the Tallahassee Police Department (TPD) and members of the Minority Outreach Program conducted random seat belt surveys of vehicles entering and leaving school campuses. The high school with the "Highest Buckle Up Rate" and "Most Improved Buckle Up Rate" were each awarded a plaque and a $1000 check from Fonvielle Lewis Foote & Messer. The $1000 was designated for direct student-related activities, either Junior-Senior Prom or graduation-related activities for students such as Project Graduation. Florida State University School (FSUS) won the award for "Highest Buckle Up Rate," with an 84% seat belt usage rate. Lincoln High School won the "Most Improved Buckle Up Rate." While these efforts are commendable, our goal is to have 100% seat belt usage for all high schools. Congratulations to the winners!

"Thanks to the support of FLF&M, we not only raised the awareness of teenage deaths due to traffic crashes but we increased the usage rate of high school teenagers wearing their safety belts by the friendly competition of the Battle of the Belts," said Sgt. Judy Suchocki with the TPD. "The Tallahassee Police Department looks forward to working with FLF&M in the future to make our streets safer."

The facts are clear: seat belts save lives. We all play a role in the effort to increase seat belt use. People of all ages need to remember and remind others to buckle up. Don't let such a careless act as not wearing your seat belt cost our community another tragedy!

FLF&M Awards $4,500 to High School Graduates for Responsible Choices

Project Graduation, an all-night alcohol- and drug-free celebration, began in Florida in 1984. The event was spearheaded by two local Leon High School mothers. Partner Hal Lewis was a member of that Leon High graduating class and attended the first ever Project Graduation. Today, eight high schools in Leon County put on Project Graduations, providing young people in our area a safe, substance-free environment to celebrate this momentous time in their lives.

At Fonvielle Lewis Foote & Messer, we believe in the importance of focusing on young people who are making smart decisions. We also subscribe to the belief that rewarding positive behavior is the key to maximizing it. That is why we created the FLF&M Responsible Choice Awards program in 2002. And, we are pleased to announce that the 2002 and 2003 programs were both tremendous successes.

For the second year in a row, FLF&M was proud to reward young people in our community who are making mature and safe decisions with the FLF&M Responsible Choice Awards. A total of $4,500 was awarded to 45 students from nine area high schools who made the responsible choice to attend project graduation. To encourage safe, smart behavior on graduation night, FLF&M gave gifts of $100 cash to 45 students who attended and stayed all night at their respective Project Graduation events. Any student from the eight Leon County participating schools, or Wakulla High School, who stayed at Project Graduation throughout the night was eligible for the drawings.

"Project Graduation could not be possible without support from community partners such as Fonvielle Lewis Foote & Messer. We greatly appreciate the Responsible Choice Awards," said Candice Aubin, 2003 Project Graduation Coordinator for Leon High School. "It's very important that businesses like Fonvielle Lewis Foote & Messer support Project Graduation. The contributions from the firm enticed students to attend an event that is fun and safe," commented Alisa Ghazvini, Maclay School's 2003 Project Graduation Coordinator.

Congratulations to all our winners!

Each of these 45 students made the safe, smart choice to attend Project Graduation and walked away with a $100 award ($4,500 total) from Fonvielle Lewis Foote & Messer. We also applaud all of the graduating seniors who chose to celebrate safely by attending Project Graduation!

Thank You to the 2003
Project Graduation Parent Coordinators

FLF&M would like to extend our thanks to the parents who led the 2003 Project Graduation committees at their respective schools. Without the hard work of these parents and their committee members, this wonderful program to keep young people in our community safe on graduation night would not be possible.