At 9:30 a.m. this Saturday, May 30, a team of artists from the United Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Barbara County will paint an airplane beneath the control tower at the Santa Barbara Airport.
At 11:30, SafeLaunch, a local nonprofit dedicated to stopping addiction before it starts, will recognize seven young people who died from addiction. With their names affixed beneath the wings of “DJ,” the SafeLaunch airplane, their lives give lift to an important mission.
In the coming months, SafeLaunch will fly DJ to six air shows, where young people and their families will learn about the people whose lives were cut short by addiction, pledge to abstain from alcohol and other drugs until their brains are fully developed, and paint their great futures on the airplane.
“Helping youth soar to new heights through the arts and not the use of drugs is a program that fits within our mission,” Boys & Girls Clubs CEO Michael Baker said.
Janet Rowse, co-founder of SafeLaunch and wife of Santa Barbara City Councilman Randy Rowse, believes that “when we mix kids with art and aviation, we inspire them to reach their highest potential.”
SafeLaunch co-founder and pilot Ron Cuff explains that a safe, successful flight is a metaphor for a safe and successful life.
“Every successful flight requires a flight plan with alternatives if bad weather or mechanical problems crop up,” he explains to the kids who participate in SafeLaunch programs. “Life is the same way. Young people without a plan are likely to miss their destination.”
The SafeLaunch message is clear. The adolescent brain is up to 600 percent more susceptible to addiction than its adult counterpart, and experimenting with drugs and alcohol is a risk that no children should ever take.
This event is sponsored by Santa Barbara Aviation and Above All Aviation. For sponsorship information, contact info@SafeLaunch.org.
— Janet Rowse is a co-founder of SafeLaunch.