One big game, one big (safe) win for county teens

As legions of football fans assembled to watch the big game on Sunday, one gathering in Boulder was markedly different from typical American Super Bowl parties: Twenty-two teens gathered in a school gym to watch the game, and play games themselves, without any alcohol or other substances.

Jefferson County Tobacco Use Prevention and the Jefferson County DUI Task Force have been combining fun and safety in the forms of Super Bowl parties and March Madness competitions for years. Over the past several years, the organizations hosted substance-free youth Super Bowl parties at Jefferson High in hopes of encouraging teens to have a sober evening on a day that has become a holiday in many American homes. In hopes of gaining the interest of this age group—teens in the ninth through 12th grades—the party offered food, drinks and a main attraction: prizes. In the past, the prizes included gift cards for local businesses, headphones, gaming consoles and TVs.

“I normally don’t enjoy football. But I was pleasantly surprised with the fun activities and prizes,” attendee Morgan Walters said. “I will definitely go next year!”