The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
THIN BLUE LINE SHINES
Agencies, organizations gather for 17th annual Zero-Proof Mix-Off
Lorain County Community College and the Lorain County Safe Community Coalition presented their 17th annual ZeroProof Mix-Off on Dec. 6.
Held at Lorain County Community College’s Spitzer Conference Center, 22 local organizations mixed up their best creative liquid concoctions. Those included Lorain County JVS Allied Health Sciences and Adult Education Phlebotomy programs “Cranberry Transfusion” served in pouches eerily resembling a transfusion to “Will’s Winter Chill,” named for Lorain County Prosecutor Dennis Will.
“It started off with the goal of trying to normalize sober celebrations, especially around the
“The ultimate goal is to keep everything safe.”
— Ohio State Highway Patrol Trooper Ray Santiago
holidays, when a lot of those celebrations do revolve around alcohol,” said Katie Bevan, a program manager with Lorain County Public Health’s Health Promotion and Disease Prevention. “And we also started it with the goal to increase awareness of impaired driving, that it does happen still, even in 2018 when you would think by now we would have kind of adjusted our behaviors.”
Bevan wasn’t making any firm predictions about which drinks would prevail but was encouraged by some of this year’s creations.
“I tend to like the drinks that are not as sweet. Because usually the drinks that are a little bit more savory or bubbly and tangy, they tend to help offset those holiday cookies you tend to have this time of year, so I appreciate that,” she said.
“But this many of the ingredients we see are cranberries, chocolate, coconut are kind of new and different this year. And lavender, that’s a new one.”
Bevan said with even technology advancing so
quickly with ride-sharing apps to help people find safe rides home after consuming alcohol, too many people are still making unfortunate decisions in choosing to get behind the wheel.
In 2017, alcohol impairment was associated with about 38 percent of vehicle crash fatalities in Lorain County. A figure the Ohio State Highway Patrol knows too well.
Trooper Ray Santiago of the Highway Patrol’s Elyria Post was serving up their winning drink “Thin Blue Line Shine,” along with Sgt. Pablo Cruz and Trooper Corey Resendez.
“The ultimate goal is to keep everything safe,” Santiago said. “Too often this is the busy season for us so to speak and not for good reasons. And to be able to come out here and take proactive
measures to interact with the community and still have fun and still enjoy some of the same great tasting drinks without alcohol present. And it gives us an opportunity to be human and sometimes that’s in the shadow of our smile.”
The Highway Patrol took home two honors including the People’s Choice award and Best Overall for their creation combining apple juice, apple cider and cinnamon served with optional whipped cream and caramel sauce.
“We are having fun in case you couldn’t tell. So it was an opportunity for everyone else to give us a ticket for once. And it worked out, everyone had a good time and hopefully it pays off with a safe holiday season,” Santiago said.