Letter to the Editor: SafeLaunch Says Thank You to Community

To the people of Santa Barbara,

On behalf of the founders, the board of advisors and the Launch Crew, SafeLaunch Santa Barbara wishes to recognize our friends and community partners for every small and large contribution to our successful event at Samy’s Camera last Thursday.

To the Santa Barbara Rescue Mission and all of the people in recovery who courageously told their personal stories and posed for portraits, and to the teens who photographed, painted and interpreted the lives of 29 local residents afflicted with the lifelong disease of addiction, we thank you.

To Joe Lambert and Teen Star, Savannah and Shane Meares, Bear Riddell and the Riddles, Rachel La Commare, Daniel Schneipp and Stereo Drive, Christian Pearson (C-Rush), Marandah Field-Elliot and False Puppet, we thank you. Terry Baxter, Matt Benko, Roger Perry and Hector Hurtado — you rock!

Our sincere appreciations go to: Noah benShea, for his inspirational words of comfort and strength; Dave Lombardi and Fast Frame for mounting all art and photography; Jason Egbert, Richard Pinnock and Troy Hamilton at Samy’s Camera for their flexibility and generosity; Rita Ferri, Rafael Perea de la Cabada, Mehosh Dziadzio, Alison Nigh Strelich and Hunter Howatt for judging the students’ art and photography; Tony Askew and Dug Uyesake, for the installation; and, to our honorary chairs of the event, state Assemblywoman Fiona Ma and Santa Barbara County Superintendent of Schools Bill Cirone.

Big thanks to the students of the Police Activities League and their big leader, Wojo. Sanjua Gil, thank you for elevating us with colorful balloons! Thank you, Marlene Vincent and Wanda Venturelli, for the backdrop and the backup. We are grateful for the friendship and guidance of Anne Kratz … and so many others!

This beautiful and thought-provoking show will remain on display at Samy’s Camera until the end of May, and we encourage anyone who has not yet seen the exhibition to experience it firsthand. The proceeds of the original art sales will be split between the young artists and SafeLaunch Santa Barbara, whose mission is to prevent the disease of addiction by raising awareness that the teen brain is up to six times more susceptible to addiction than a mature one.

For more information, email info@safelaunch.org.

Janet Rowse, co-founder
SafeLaunch