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Holly Johnson Lanahan, Gordie's aunt, passed away in Baltimore on April 15, 2018. Our thoughts are with the Lanahan family and Holly's many friends as they grieve her loss. View Holly's obituary and this lovely article in the Baltimore Sun to learn more about her life and legacy.
What is Backpacking?

We recently spoke with Dianne and Chris Williams, the parents of McCrae Williams, a freshman lacrosse player who died as a result of a hazing-related alcohol injury at Lafayette College eight months ago. Like Gordie, McCrae did not receive the medical attention he needed in time to save his life - he was not taken to a hospital for 22 hours. Instead, McCrae's friends put a backpack on him in a misguided effort to keep him from rolling over onto his back. The practice of "backpacking" drunk students is well-intentioned, but highly dangerous, as drunk people can roll over on their stomachs and be unable to roll back over because of the backpack, increasing the risk of asphyxiation. McCrae's parents created a survey to learn more about the prevalence of backpacking, student knowledge of state and campus medical amnesty policies, and barriers to calling 911 in an alcohol emergency. Please forward the survey link below to high school and college students as well as any recent graduates you know, and urge students to take the survey and pass it on to their friends.


The most heartbreaking aspect of Gordie's and McCrae's deaths, along with every other hazing and alcohol overdose death, is that they were entirely preventable.
Gordie Center Updates
Step UP! Board Members including Holly Deering and Susie Bruce from the Gordie Center (back row)
  Step UP! National Facilitator Training
Gordie Center staff Susie Bruce and Holly Deering traveled to Orlando, FL May 14-15 as presenters at the national Step UP! Bystander Intervention Program Facilitator Training. Susie, Holly, and the other Step UP! Board members taught 150 athletics administrators, student affairs staff, and students how to create a sustainable and powerful bystander intervention program on their campus.
UVA Chi Psi Chapter Support
The University of Virginia's Chi Psi chapter selected the Gordie Center as their local philanthropy, and held a "Waffle Lodge" event this spring. They raised over $3,000 for the Gordie Center as well as educating UVA students on Gordie's story! Gordie's death was due to alcohol-related hazing as a Chi Psi pledge at the University of Colorado in Boulder, and we are grateful for the UVA chapter's support to further of our mission!.
Do you have money left in your fiscal year budget? The Gordie Center can help you maximize your funding with our evidence-informed materials! Purchase HAZE, GORDIEcheck BAC cards, posters, magnets, mirror clings, and more at our GORDIEstore to use in your 2018-2019 programming efforts. We are happy to customize many of our items with your logo - email us to get a quote for a customized order! 
 
Until next month,

Susie Bruce, Director
Jill Maurer, National Development & Program Coordinator
The Gordie Center
[email protected] | www.gordie.org
 


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