聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 The scene was gruesome enough to cause some concern among those who were unaware of the PARTY setup.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 It happened shortly after 9 a.m. on May 12 on Dixon Avenue near the Assiniboine Valley Health Centre and Kamsack Hospital. A car had struck a tree; two young women, dripping in blood, were in the front seat, and a young man was lying lifeless on the ground nearby, having been flung from the vehicle.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 That was the setup for the Kamsack PARTY (Prevent Alcohol and Risk-Related Trauma in Youth) demonstration which was organized for the benefit of the Grade 10 students at Kamsack Comprehensive Institute. Also invited to witness the demonstration were two students from each of the high schools in Canora, Sturgis, Preeceville and Norquay so that the experience might encourage them to organize similar events in their communities.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Equipped with an electronic sound system, Bill Cook of Duck Mountain Ambulance Care narrated the scene as it unfolded for the students who had gathered around the perimeter. He explained how a witness had made the call for help and as each group of participants arrived, he described their work.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 First to arrive were the police, firemen and ambulance workers, each of which did his or her own job, securing the scene, tending to the 鈥渇atality鈥� and the injured, and then gaining access into the vehicle, while the 鈥渧ictims鈥� acted their parts crying out with distress: 鈥淚 killed my best friend.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 After witnessing the work of the first responders, the students were taken to the Kamsack Hospital, where the 鈥渧ictims鈥� were 鈥渢reated鈥� by staff, as would be actual vicitms of accidents. Students were bandaged and placed into restraints.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 With the assistance of volunteers, the bound and bandaged students attempted to eat their lunch, thereby obtaining first-hand understanding of some of the obstacles one must confront when thrust into such a situation.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Following the lunch, the students were transported to Wolkowski Funeral Home where Dereck Wolkowski explained what is done when he is asked to process a deceased victim of an accident.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Other volunteers who spoke to the students during the event were Ken Thompson, a coroner; members of Parkland Victims Services, and a survivor of an actual incident which resulted in actual victims.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The first such PARTY held in Saskatchewan was held in Kamsack 15 years ago, organized and conducted by Susan Leis, who had been working as the volunteer and health promotions co-ordinator for Sunrise Health Region.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Last week鈥檚 event was a project of a committee headed by KCI students Allison Thomsen, Devin Klapatiuk, Kaylie Bowes and Lexie Tomochko, who are members of the district鈥檚 Community Health Advisory Committee.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The students said that they had attended a PARTY that was held in Yorkton in December and decided to organize one for Kamsack because one had not been held in the community since 2011.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Helping to organize the event, the students acknowledged the assistance of: Andrychuk Funeral Home, Rob Ritchie, Dave Matechuk, Charles Goossen, Kamsack Co-op, KevLen Towing, and Kamsack鈥檚 Emergency Measures Organization. Also assisting with the PARTY were the Good Spirit School Division, Sunrise Health Region and Town of Kamsack.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The students said that such PARTYs are normally held for Grade 10 students because students in that grade are just getting to the age that they may be asked to make choices regarding alcohol use and operating or riding in a vehicle.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 It is believed that once students are confronted with the realities of the possible disastrous consequences of making poor decisions they are more apt to make better decisions.聽
