REGION – Worcester County District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr. is helping fund safe postprom events at Algonquin Regional, Grafton and Westborough high schools this year thanks to his annual grant program, now in its fifth year.
“These events should be times of celebration for our students and their families, but these celebrations can turn into tragedies as we know that life can and often does change in the blink of an eye when alcohol and drugs are involved,” Early said. “We will continue to offer these funds to help provide students with these fun and safe events. Our goal is prevention of tragedies before they happen.”
This year, the district attorney’s office awarded a total of $25,000 in grants to 18 different schools across Worcester County to fund events, organized and overseen by dedicated adults, that offer safe drug- and alcohol-free environments where students can celebrate after celebratory events like prom and graduation.
Early utilized his Drug Forfeiture Reinvestment Program this year to provide these funds. Funding to support these grants was previously provided by the Massachusetts Office of Victim Assistance Drunk Driving Trust Fund.