More than 600 parents and teens registered for the Teen Driving Academy II at Atlanta Motor Speedway held on Saturday July 7. The event was possible thanks to the generosity of The Allstate Foundation which awarded a $125,000 grant to Safe America to support programming to enhance teen driver education and emergency preparedness in four Southeastern states.
Allstate Assistant Field Vice President Chris Kiah presented the major gift to the Foundation’s Board of Directors during its quarterly meeting on June 20 which were held at Allstate’s regional offices in northwest Atlanta.
“Through our support of Safe America, Allstate’s goal is to lower the tragic number of deaths and injuries occurring on southern highways from accidents involving young drivers, while also supporting ‘preparedness’ for future weather-related emergencies,” Kiah noted.
In presenting the check, Butler noted that families in the Southeast have a significantly greater risk of loss from teen driving accidents and weather-related disasters than residents of other areas of the U.S.
“But it’s not just good business sense for Allstate to want to reduce accidents and weather damage,” Butler added. “It’s personal for us, too. Like many other large companies, Allstate has thousands of workers and agents living in the Southeast who also have teenage children. We are committed to leading the way in making our teens safer on the roads and helping our families prepare for other hazards."
Kiah noted that commitment will include serving as volunteers in Safe America’s programming.
“It’s not enough to write a check – we’re rolling up our sleeves, asking our employees and agents to get involved, said Kiah. “We’re going to get into the fight to make sure teens are taught properly, starting with the Teen Driving Academy at Atlanta Motor Speedway on July 7.”
A second major initiative between Allstate and Safe America is to bring emergency preparedness awareness and information to key areas in the Southeast..
“After the devastation we experienced from Hurricane Katrina, Southerners should recognize it’s not enough to wait for another disaster and merely ‘clean up’ efficiently,” Kiah observed. “We need to be proactive, working to help people plan ahead for the next disaster – whether it’s weather-related… a pandemic outbreak… or a terrorist strike against a major regional asset.”
Safe America President Len Pagano thanked Allstate for its grant, noting that it will focus on making the programming replicable in other states.
“Allstate is showing inspired leadership in addressing America’s critical injury prevention issues – and together we’ll bring new energy to helping the South tackle two of the thorniest issues it faces in protecting life in the early 21st century,” Pagano said.