Photos and Commentary from the Appreciation Luncheon for 2004 Educational Grantees

On October 25th, the Governor's Office of Highway Safety held the first of hopefully many appreciation luncheons to honor the hard work and determination of Georgia safety groups dedicated to the cause of education. A packed ballroom at the Callaway Gardens resort came together to hear and share success stories involving a wide variety of safety organizations supported by GOHS. The luncheon also helped to strengthen the ties that bind all highway safety organizations and GOHS as well as to act as an incubator for good ideas and management practices to be spread around the state.

Education is one of the two main pillars that highway safety is built upon in Georgia. Part of the reason for luncheons such as this is that educational efforts have made a difference in Georgia. Overall use of safety belts in Georgia rose from 84.5% in 2003 to 86.7% in 2004, leading the Southeast. The child safety seat use rate rose from 90.5% in 2003 to 92.6% in 2004. Georgia's fatality rate also is below the national average. Educational efforts have led to many of these positive results and, through even harder work and innovation, Georgia will strive for the main goal of saving the lives of more Georgians and having the safest roads and highways in the country.

Below are some of the images and commentary from this year's luncheon. Congratulations again goes out to this year's grantees and award-winners. Click on each image for a larger picture.