For the 30th time in school history, Binghamton High School’s Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD), accompanied by the high school Davidge Choir, gathered outside BHS Tuesday to light the Tree of Life. The tradition is an annual reminder of the dangers of impaired and distracted driving during the holiday season. These risks often increase during celebrations this time of year.
“To me, and I know to everybody in the club, it’s very important,” said Binghamton senior and President of SADD Caden Carangelo. “It is a major message that we like to try and at least get out to people our age because we feel it might not necessarily be as represented as it should.”
A tree has been lit with white lights each year since 1993, with the exception of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. If an impaired driving-related death occurs while the tree is lit, a white bulb is replaced with a red bulb. 2021 was the first year in the history of the BHS tradition that a red bulb was installed.
Since 1996, the Tree of Life has been dedicated to the memory of Katie Titus, a Binghamton High School student and active member of SADD who passed away that year in a non-impaired motor vehicle accident.