Benicia High School’s Friday Night Live (FNL) student club has been named as the recipient of the Tobacco Free Solano Coalition’s (TFS) annual Alvina Sheeley Memorial Advocate Award. (Pictured left to right) Aimee Han, Alex Cortez, Katie Han and Benicia Mayor Elizabeth Patterson.

BENICIA – Benicia High School’s Friday Night Live (FNL) student club has been named as the recipient of the Tobacco Free Solano Coalition’s (TFS) annual Alvina Sheeley Memorial Advocate Award.  The award was presented at the TFS Coalition’s annual luncheon meeting Jan. 22 by the Mayor of Benicia, Elizabeth Patterson. The student club along with their community partners were recognized for their efforts to encourage and support new tobacco ordinances that not only bans smoking in public places including multi-unit housing, but also bans the sale of flavored products within Benicia.

The club was acknowledged specifically for the work they have done over the past year and a half to combat tobacco in their community.  Benicia FNL received a grant from the California Friday Night Live Partnership to support their efforts, which included a park clean up, the development of a presentation about e-cigarettes and vapes for students, and a public speaking training for members to speak at city council about how tobacco, especially flavored products, as well as second-hand smoke have impacted their community.

When presenting the award, Mayor Patterson shared “I was impressed when seven members of the club confidently stood in front of me and the rest of the council, staff, and residents of Benicia on November 19^th, 2019 and spoke to us about the effects of tobacco on their peers and their campus.” Patterson went on to say, “speaking from a personal perspective, when youth stand up and tell adults who are making decisions about their lives and about their future, by-golly you will see those decisionmakers make the right decision!”

Three student representatives from Benicia High’s FNL Club attended the luncheon, Co-Presidents Katie Han and Alex Cortez, and Vice President Aimee Han; “We are shocked to be getting this award,” Said club Co-President Alex Cortez. Katie Han was humbled, saying “Benicia Friday Night Live stands here today because of our progressive youth and the opportunities we have to speak out on decisions that deeply impact our future. We are absolutely honored to represent our club and accept this distinguished award.”

Tobacco Free Solano is a countywide volunteer organization which advocates for smoke-free environments and preventing smoke and vape use among teenagers. Wednesday’s meeting allowed for members to share successes and work plans for the year, as well as discuss new tactics by tobacco companies to target the youth. Guest speaker Carol McGruder, Co-Chair of the African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council also spoke to the coalition and guests about the tobacco’s history of targeting minority communities, and specifically the results of tobacco use in the black community.

The award’s namesake, Sheeley, was a TEC co-chair and Fairfield-Suisun teacher who died in 2018. During her time with TFS, Sheeley was an adamant advocate for tobacco-free spaces and recipient of Volunteer of the Year.

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