Article written by Ainsley Hall and published in The Journal on May 13, 2026.
MARTINSBURG — Every year as Martinsburg High School students prepare for a fun night at prom, the community comes together for Prom Promise to remind students of the dangers of drunk driving and other high-risk behaviors. Led by Amber Stokes, previous adviser for the Students Against Destructive Decisions Club, this event brings the high school together alongside WVU Medicine Berkeley Medical Center and local emergency services to warn students through a mock accident.
The event started as students gathered in the auditorium to hear from Lori Proudfoot, Juvenile Opioid Treatment Intervention and Prevention Program (JOTIPP) Coordinator at the Berkeley County Recovery Resource Center. Four years ago, Proudfoot lost her son Jonathan to addiction. He started experimenting with drugs and alcohol as a teenager, eventually getting addicted to heroin. He struggled to keep a job, got in trouble with the law and was homeless for a time. Proudfoot didn’t know what to do.
“Instead of helping him, I shunned him, pushed him away, and I said things that made him feel worse,” she said. “He came from a good family. He went to church, he went to private school, and I can remember thinking, ‘I did not raise an addict.’”
Proudfoot realized that her son did not need judgement but help. He went to rehab and was doing well for about a year before he went back to the streets. No one had seen him in days when she received a call saying he died from a fentanyl overdose at age 24. Proudfoot wasn’t trying to scare the students by sharing her story, but to help them understand the very real consequences they face.
“My son wasn’t trying to throw his life away,” Proudfoot said. “He was just like you in moments where choices didn’t feel as big as they really were. One choice changed everything. If he just had one more moment, like the ones you guys are going to have tomorrow, I know he would choose differently.”
After the presentation, the students gathered outside where a mock car accident was set up. Students from the Martinsburg High School theatre department acted as if they were in a real drunk driving accident as emergency services responded. The student who had been ‘drinking’ was arrested, while several others were ‘injured’ and one ‘died.’ A WVU Medicine HealthNet Helicopter came to medivac one of the students to receive medical care.
Paige Messiah, Avery Vancamp and Juliet Lewin were just a few of the theatre students who participated. They enjoyed seeing their classmates’ reactions as they act out arguments and the emotions they might see from a real accident. The students hope their peers will take the message to heart and make better decisions as they all attend prom.
“I really hope people understand the reality of how serious this is,” Vancamp said. “They got to see all the different points of view, from the drunk driver to the bystanders. I want them to know that this is serious.”
Martinsburg High School was thankful for their community partners who made this possible.
“The administration of Martinsburg High School is very proud of this yearly event,” Assistant Principal Brian Sine said. “We are thankful for the collaboration with local emergency services and the time they sacrifice to provide an impactful demonstration for our students. The opportunity it presents for student engagement is educational and meaningful. Our goal is to challenge our students to make the appropriate choices and have a safe, memorable experience this Prom weekend.”