The 26th Annual Protect & Serve Tavern will take place Saturday, December 11th from noon – 4:00 p.m. at the Great Lakes Mall, located at 7850 Mentor Avenue in Mentor. Hosted by the Lake County Crime Prevention Taskforce, the Lake County Association of Chiefs of Police and the Lake County Safe Communities Coalition, this event will remind everyone to drive sober this holiday season.
Local police chiefs, judges, and Cleveland’s own special celebrity meteorologist Jenn Harcher from the Fox 8 Weather Team will act as bartenders, serving non-alcoholic drinks and snacks to mall shoppers. Due to many generous donations received from local businesses, this event is free to the public. Local police departments will invite shoppers to try the “Fatal Vision” goggle demonstration, which mimics alcohol impairment. Free recipes featuring tasty non-alcoholic beverages created by the Lake County police departments will be distributed, and two “mocktail” baskets with all the fixings to make your own non-alcoholic beverages will be raffled off.
This holiday season, the Lake County Crime Prevention Taskforce, the Lake County Association of Chiefs of Police and the Lake County Safe Communities Coalition are teaming up with the United States Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to remind all drivers about the dangers of drinking and driving. In the past 3 years, there have been 23 fatal crashes in Lake County. Of these, 13 were OVI (Operating a Vehicle Impaired)-related. With the holiday festivities and extra office parties taking place, it is essential to plan a sober ride home before the events begin. Here are a few simple tips to ensure that everyone has a fun evening and gets home safely:
- Plan a safe way home before festivities begin;
- Before drinking, designate a sober driver;
- If you are impaired, take a taxi, rideshare, or call a sober friend or family member for a ride home;
- If you happen to see an impaired driver on the road, call #667 to reach law enforcement;
- If you know someone who is going to drive or ride while impaired, take their keys and help them make arrangements to get where they are going safely.
Let’s make sure everyone has a safe and happy holiday season! As you head out for a night of merrymaking, remember: Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.
