Glenbard Parent Series to focus on irresponsible drinking

Glenbard High School District 87 students and other residents will get a chance Thursday to hear one man's story about the devastating consequences of drinking and driving.

Keynote speaker Mark Sterner will present his story about a reckless night of drinking that led to the death of his friends as part of the district's Glenbard Parent Series: Navigating Healthy Families Program.

Students already were able to hear presentations from Sterner this week as part of the district's programming for Live Life Well Week, which is "designed to inspire young people to take ownership of decisions regarding their mental and physical health," according to a news release.

At the end of his Spring Break, Sterner was driving drunk when his car hit a tree, District 87 Student and Community Projects Coordinator Gilda Ross said.

The crash killed three of his fraternity brothers and Sterner was sentenced to time in prison.

"The goal is to help students in their decision-making," Ross said. "We know that peer pressure and stress can be difficult at this time for teenagers. And so in order to help them make healthy decisions, we engaged this particular speaker to share his very emotional story to assist in that goal."

Sterner will speak at 7 p.m. at Glenbard North High School, 990 Kuhn Road, Carol Stream. The event is free and open to the public.