Hunter Brooks Watson Memorial Fund

HUNTER'S FUND SEEKS OUT YOUNG PEOPLE WITH PROMISING IDEAS TO SUPPORT AND FUNDS SAFE DRIVING CAMPAIGN ON SCHOOL CAMPUSES.

THE HUNTER BROOKS WATSON MEMORIAL FUND BELIEVES YOUNG PEOPLE HOLD THE ANSWERS TO WHERE THE NEXT GREAT IDEAS COME FROM, WHO WILL PROVIDE INSIGHT, INSPIRATION, AND HARD WORK TO CREATE A BETTER TOMORROW. YOUNG PEOPLE ARE USING THEIR TALENTS AND PASSIONS TO FIND WAYS TO IMPROVE THE WORLD. THEIR DREAMS ARE OF THINGS YET TO BE SEEN. WHILE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT TOMORROW WILL BRING, WE DO KNOW THAT TODAY'S YOUTH AND THEIR IDEAS WILL BE PROPELLING THE CHANGES TO COME. HUNTER'S FUND INVESTS IN YOUNG PEOPLE (16-25) WHO HAVE DEMONSTRATED TALENT, EXPERIENCE, AND PASSION. THESE GRANTS REWARD INNOVATION AND PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR YOUNG PEOPLE WHO APPROACH LIFE WITH POWERFUL IDEAS. PREFERENCE IS GIVEN TO APPLICATIONS IN THE AREAS OF MUSIC, PERFORMING ARTS, COMPUTER SCIENCE, AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP.

SAFE DRIVING PROGRAMS HUNTER WATSON DIED AS A PASSENGER IN A DISTRACTED DRIVING ACCIDENT JUST AS HE WAS TO ENTER HIS JUNIOR YEAR IN COLLEGE. DISTRACTED DRIVING ACCIDENTS ARE PREVENTABLE AND CHANGING BEHAVIOR IS ONE OF THE MOST PROMISING WAYS OF REDUCING ACCIDENTS CAUSED BY DISTRACTED DRIVING. STUDIES BASED UPON SEAT BELT USAGE AND DISPOSABLE WASTE HAVE SHOWN THAT SIGNING A WRITTEN PLEDGE CAN EFFECTIVELY CHANGE BEHAVIOR. RESEARCH ALSO SHOWS THAT PER-MILE-DRIVEN, 16-19 YEAR-OLDS DIE IN FATAL CAR CRASHES AT NEARLY THREE TIMES THE RATE OF DRIVERS 20 YEARS AND OLDER, AND 70% OF TEENS REPORT USING SOCIAL MEDIA. THE LOSS OF SOMEONE IN A DRIVING ACCIDENT AT SUCH A YOUNG AGE CAN CHANGE THE LIVES OF THEIR FRIENDS AND FAMALIES FOR A LIFETIME. IN 2021, THE HUNTER BROOKS WATSON MEMORIAL FUND PREPARED CAMPAIGN MATERIAL TO FUND SAFE DRIVING CAMPAIGNS ON 45 COLLEGE AND HIGH SCHOOL CAMPUSES. COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS BEGAN IMPACTING THSES CAMPAIGNS IN MARCH OF 2020 AND HAVE CONTINUED TO HAVE AN EFFECT ON PROGRAMS THROUGH THE END OF 2021. MATERIALS WERE PRODUCED IN 2020 THAT ENABLED THESE CAMPAIGNS TO CONTINUE IN COMPLIANCE WITH CDC AND CAMPUS GUIDELINES, AND THESE MATERIALS HAVE CONTINUED TO BE AN IMPORTANT POINT IN GAINING SUPPORT FROM CAMPUS ADMINISTRATORS. AS MANY SCHOOLS BEGAN TO RETURN TO CAMPUS IN SPRING OF 2021, THESE NEWLY DESIGNED MATERIALS ALLOWED STUDENTS TO COMMIT TO SAFER DRIVING WHILE KEEPING THEMSELVES AND THEIR COMMUNITY PROTECTED DURING AN UNPRECEDENT PANDEMIC. THE PROGRAM HAS SEEN SIGNIFICANT GROWTH THROUGH 2021 AS AN UNPRECEDENTED 15 CAMPUSES HOSTED CAMPAIGNS IN FALL OF 2021 BEATING PREVIOUS RECORDS FOR FUNDS RAISED AND PLEDGES SIGNED.

EDUCATIONWITH THE ORGANIZATION'S SAFE DRIVING PROGRAMS ON DOZENS OF CAMPUSES, PRINT NEWSLETTERS, WEBSITE, BLOG, SOCIAL MEDIA AND EMAIL COMMUNICATIONS, AND EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS THAT REACH YOUNG PEOPLE, PARENTS AND THOSE IN THE EDUCATIONAL COMMUNITY SEEK TO BUILD AWARENESS OF THE POTENTIAL OF NEW IDEAS AND HOW RECOGNIZING AND SUPPORTING THESE YOUNG PEOPLE CAN HELP THEM BECOME POTENTIAL FOR CHANGE IN OUR OWN FUTURE. CONTINUED EDUCATION OF THE IMPORTANCE OF SAFE DRIVING AND REMINDERS OF THE COMMITMENT THOSE SIGNING PLEDGES ENCOURAGE CONTINUED SAFE DRIVING. WRISTBANDS AND KEY CHAIN REMINDERS WERE GIVEN TO PLEDGE SIGNERS WHO HAVE SHOWN TO BE A REMINDER TO THOSE WEARING THEM EACH TIME THEY GET BEHIND THE WHEEL OF A CAR OR AS A PASSENGER IN A VEHICLE.