Camp Bandage Aims to Teach Safety, Show Dangers of Driving Under the Influence

Free and open to the public, the fifth annual safety camp and kids’ fun fair, Saturday, June 4, provides safety, health and first aid training for children of all ages.

Vinita, Okla., May 26, 2022 (Grand Nation, Inc.) — “That won’t happen to us.”

Amanda Scott clearly remembers her best friend, Kendra Gonzalez, saying those words when the then-20-year-olds heard a young man their age had been killed in a drunk-driving crash.

That was Feb. 5, 2015. Tragically for Amanda and Kendra, those words proved to be wrong.

On April 25, 2015, the longtime friends and co-workers from Pryor were hit by a 32-year-old drunk driver. Amanda was not wearing a seatbelt and was severely injured. She was life flighted out. Kendra died on impact.

In the seven years since the crash, Amanda, who endured numerous surgeries for her injuries, found a way to turn her tragic experience positive by serving as a Victims Impact Panel speaker.

The Victims Impact Panel of Oklahoma, Inc. (VIP) is a court-recognized program aimed at combating drunk driving and driving under the influence of drugs. The program offers a unique perspective to the impaired driver by presenting in-person testimonies of those who have been directly affected by someone’s choice to drive under the influence, i.e., a victim, rescue professional and a DUI offender.

Being a VIP speaker allows Amanda to make a difference and possibly save lives.

“I have been doing this so long, I’ve talked to maybe 500 individuals,” said Amanda, who speaks at the panels nearly every month. “People have told me they would never drive drunk or under the influence of drugs again because of hearing my story.

“It’s also been very beneficial to my healing. VIP allows me to speak for myself and for Kendra.”

Amanda will be the featured speaker at Camp Bandage – Grand Lake, a family-friendly, outdoor safety camp and kids’ fun fair that provides safety, health and first aid training for children of all ages.

Free and open to the public, the fifth annual Camp Bandage – Grand Lake will be held from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 4, at Grand Lake RV Resort on Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees.

Amanda will speak prior to the mock car crash demonstration presented by Grand Lake area law enforcement members and first responders at 2:30 p.m.

She is looking forward to sharing her life-altering experience to let others know that “it can happen to you.”

“I have not participated in a mock car crash before so it will probably feel very real to me,” Amanda said. “You don’t forget the sound of the whomp, whomp, whomp of a helicopter landing on the highway for you.”

The mock crash allows those watching to learn how emergency responders conduct rescue efforts in real-time and see what their jobs entail. Organizers say the demonstration will also teach families, especially young children, about the dangers of drunk driving.

“Every year, we try to bring new information and more vendors with the latest resources to Camp Bandage – Grand Lake. This year, we are honored to have Amanda Scott share her story with us,” said Jennifer Hinson, Grand Nation executive director.

“Statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration show that about 28 people in America die every day from drunk-driving car crashes. We believe that Ms. Scott’s story and the mock crash will be a powerful prevention tool for everyone who sees it.”

Camp Bandage – Grand Lake is organized by Grand Nation, a nonprofit grassroots coalition that has been serving the Grand Lake area since 2012.

During Camp Bandage, children will learn about safe outdoor recreation, water safety, health, first aid, weather, fire safety, injury and substance abuse prevention and more. They will also have the opportunity to meet and interact with first responders from the Grand Lake area, including fire, police and EMTs, as well as explore helicopters, fire trucks, police cars, ambulances, patrol boats, cranes and a fire boat.

In addition to the many safety classes, demonstrations and hands-on activities, the fun will also include karaoke, dancing and games.

Thanks to the generosity of sponsors, everything is free at Camp Bandage – Grand Lake, including admission, prizes, hot dogs and drinks. T-shirts will be given away to the first 500 children as they arrive at Camp Bandage.

The event will be hosted by Grand Lake RV Resort at 31527 South 4510 Road, Afton, Okla., on Duck Creek.

If you would like to attend Camp Bandage, be a vendor or volunteer at the event, visit CampBandage.org/GrandLake or the Grand Lake Camp Bandage Facebook page for more information.

ABOUT GRAND NATION

Grand Nation is a nonprofit grassroots coalition that has been serving the Grand Lake area since 2012. An umbrella organization for a number of different programs, Grand Nation joins families seeking a better life with the resources and community organizations that can help them achieve their goal. Located at 123 S. Wilson, in Vinita, Grand Nation serves the communities of Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees, including Vinita, Grove, Jay, Afton, Ketchum, Langley, Miami, Bluejacket and Spavinaw. The phone number is (918) 276-2192.

ABOUT CAMP BANDAGE

Camp Bandage was started in Broken Arrow by Dr. A.L. Gerner and his wife, Shirley, in 1983, as a one-day event designed to educate the community on how common accidents and injuries can be prevented. For more than 35 years, businesses and organizations across the community have come together each year to teach children everything from injury prevention, first aid and CPR to bike, water, fire and home safety. Each year, the Broken Arrow Police and Fire departments are on hand to simulate responding to a car accident in order to educate the community on how emergency responders work together.

MEDIA CONTACT

Jennifer Hinson

Executive Director, Grand Nation

www.GrandNation.org

jennifer-hinson@grandnation.org

(918) 276-2192 office

(918) 256-2193 fax

(918) 915-0236 cell

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