"Thirty Three Minutes to Live"

   Sun Prairie Cable Access was awarded a youth commission prevention grant from Dane County to fund the production of a video called “Thirty-Three Minutes to Live”.  After many months of hard work and dedication by all involved, the video made it’s premiere on both KSUN-12 and KIDS-4.

  It is a documentary about a local teen who was killed by a drunk driver in the community of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin.  The roughly half-hour video takes viewers through a re-enactment of the morning that this young man died.  You meet his sister, his parents and his friends, and hear how his death has affected them.  Local SADD members also talk about the tragedy, and the prevalence of drinking among young people.  The video features statistics on alcohol related accidents and fatalities, as well as takes you through an alcohol related accident investigation from the perspectives of a detective and judge from Dane County.

  What makes this video even more interesting is the fact that it was produced by young people.  Sun Prairie Cable Access boasts KIDS-4, the only children’s television channel that is produced by kids, for kids.  The programs on KIDS-4 are taped, edited and produced by children who are in the KIDS-4 Program.  Each year kids audition to be a part of a crew where they will learn not only the technical aspect of television production, but media literacy as well.  It is a unique and exciting educational opportunity for local children – not only are they having fun, they are learning valuable skills.

  As part of our grant, Sun Prairie Cable Access distributed copies of the video to local schools, libraries, other cable access stations and other school districts in Wisconsin.  In addition, it was entered in the 2003 WAPC Statewide Film Festival and received a Significant Community Program Award and an Award of Achievement.

   It is the hope of all involved in this project that the video will be viewed by thousands of young people, parents, educators, administrators, as well as entire communities – and that these same individuals will think about “Thirty-Three Minutes to Live” before they make their own choices.  And, if in doing so a tragedy is prevented, then we have achieved our goal.  

   If you would like to receive a free copy of the video "Thirty-Three Minutes to Live" please contact the station.