Nipmuc Welcomes Project Purple and Chris Herren

Good morning,
Included below you will find information about "Project Purple" and other substance abuse awareness programs being held at Nipmuc Regional High School.

• Monday, January 14, 2013 - Nipmuc Regional High School “Goes PURPLE!” - The Nipmuc Peer Leadership Group, in collaboration with the SADD group, Friends of Seniors, and STAND will bring Project Purple to Nipmuc High School.  Project Purple is an initiative of The Herren Project, which is a non-profit foundation established by Chris Herren, former NBA basketball player, motivational speaker, author and sobriety advocate, that assists individuals and families struggling with addiction.   Project Purple’s goals are to create awareness and educate the public about substance abuse while encouraging teens and people of all ages to make good choices and stand up to drugs and alcohol.  

•  During the school day on January 14, Nipmuc High School staff and students are encouraged to wear purple in support of those whose lives have been touched by substance abuse. In addition, on January 14, during the evening, from 6:30-8:00 PM, Nipmuc will present the award winning ESPN documentary “Unguarded”, the story of Chris Herren’s life.  The movie portrays the parallel stories of Chris Herren’s basketball fame, from high school through playing for the Boston Celtics in the NBA, along with his lifelong struggle with substance abuse and addiction. The movie is not rated, but contains language and content that is not appropriate for young children. While the movie contains a powerful message of hope and recovery, it is also the story of a young man’s painful struggle with addiction and as such, contains raw and emotional material and images.  Parents are encouraged to attend with their teenagers. Admission is free, and snacks/drinks will be sold with all proceeds benefitting the Chris Herren Foundation. Please see the following link for additional information: http://espn.go.com/espn/espnfilms/story/_/id/6961212/unguarded   

• School wide Presentation - Nipmuc seniors, Korie Grill and Karlie Jango (as part of their DECA project) have booked Chris Herren, himself, to speak to the student body at Nipmuc High School on January 24, 2013.  Please watch for additional information on this powerful and meaningful presentation.

• Substance Abuse Community Forum and Information Night - On Monday evening, February 4, 2013, between 6:30 PM and 8:30 PM, Nipmuc will host a round table discussion/presentation with community mental health and substance abuse providers, law enforcement, and school personnel designed to provide information about substance abuse concerns in our community and raise awareness about available supports and resources in our area. Please join us!