California Highway Patrol Officer Shaun Simmons stands with Lassen High School students Emilly Terwilliger, Courtney Williams and Ivanna Rose as High Desert State Prison Chief Deputy Warden Fred Foulk presents a check for $1,000 in support of the Every 15 Minutes program. Photo submitted

Jan. 9, 2013 — On Jan. 2 High Desert State Prison (HDSP) Chief Deputy Warden Fred Foulk made a donation on behalf of HDSP of $1,000 to the 140 Squad Club for the Every 15 Minutes program.

The Every 15 Minutes program is to raise awareness about the risks of drunk driving. The Every 15 Minutes program mission statement is to prevent impaired driving tragedies and to save lives by building and supporting a national network of organizations with similar missions while preserving the integrity of the program and to provide students with the best prevention and intervention tools possible to deal with making mature decisions while creating meaningful family dialogue.

The 140 Squad Club has been supporting the Every 15 Minutes program locally for about a decade. The program goes to one of the four local high schools every year and exposes our local high school students to the program at least once in their high school years. This year’s program will be at Lassen High School on April 10 and 11.

On hand to receive the donation was Shaun Simmons, of the California Highway Patrol’s 140 Squad Club, Lassen High School students Emily Terwilliger, Courtney Williams and Ivanna Rose.

The money was a result of an Inmate Charitable Group Fund Drive. HDSP inmates are allowed to purchase food from local businesses, and the   proceeds are donated back to nonprofit organizations.

            This program has been a great opportunity to give back to the local community. The food sale initially supports a local business and the donations assist nonprofit and charity organizations, such as the Every 15 Minutes program.