UWs Towler Among NYC Marathon Runners

October 31, 2013
People running
Brian Towler

Brian Towler, a professor in the University of Wyoming College of Engineering and Applied Science Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, is among First Lady Carol Mead’s selections to run in the 2013 ING New York City Marathon Sunday, Nov. 3.

He will join Mead and nine other runners as part of the “Wyoming Remember the 8,” an initiative led by the first lady in collaboration with the Associated Students of the University of Wyoming and the UW AWARE (Alcohol Wellness Alternatives, Research and Education) program.

To honor the memory of eight UW student-athletes tragically killed by a drunk driver in 2001, an alcohol awareness endowment has been established through the UW Foundation. Towler and the other NYC Marathon runners from Wyoming will each raise $3,000 to be donated to the endowment.

These funds will be disseminated through competitive mini-grants to support students and student organizations at UW, Wyoming community colleges and Wyoming high schools in taking leadership roles to prevent the misuse of alcohol among high school and college students.

Funds from the Wyoming Remember the 8 endowment will support programs to prevent alcohol abuse among high school and college students.

Grants will support events or programs that are alcohol-free, have an educational component, and are aligned with the mission of the UW A-Team, a program that aims “to develop, recommend and assess best practices in policy, prevention/intervention, and enforcement to reduce underage drinking and excessive alcohol use.” 

The state of Wyoming has established the Governor’s Council on Impaired Driving. In September, the council launched the second phase of the statewide campaign aimed at creating a cultural shift to reduce drunken driving-related fatalities and injuries throughout Wyoming.

The Governor’s Council on Impaired Driving is led by co-chairs Rich Adriaens and Mike Blonigen. Other council members include nearly two dozen concerned citizens from law enforcement, the judiciary, tribal representatives and others concerned about the problem.

For more information, visit www.uwyo.edu/ucc/aware/wyoming-remember-the-8/

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