Every 15 Minutes at Ellsworth High School – 2023 [PHOTOS & VIDEO]

The Every 15 Minutes Program was conducted at Ellsworth High School on April 27, 2023, the 1st time that it was done since 2018 because of COVID. Normally it's done every 2 years.

All participants write a letter to their parents on the 1st night of the program as they stay away from them until they are reunited at an assembly on Friday, April 28th. The letter begins “Dear Mom and Dad, Every 15 minutes, someone in the United States dies from an alcohol related traffic collision and today I died. I never got the chance to tell you...

Deputies and police go and make death notifications to the parents in the morning, delivering the news that their child "died". Children are taken out of class randomly and an obituary is read as they become the "living dead".

After the accident scene was cleared, everyone went to the Hancock County Courthouse..

Tonight, the students will head to Schoodic away from their parents. Tomorrow there will be a funeral in the auditorium. Although no one was injured or killed, the emotions and the tears today were real. The hugs and tears when the students are reunited with the parents tomorrow will be definitely real!

Let me add a few personal notes. Ellsworth's citizens should be extremely proud of their 1st responders. This is a huge undertaking to put on, and most volunteered to come in on their off-hours. The way that the first responders took care of the "injured" and "dead" was caring, compassionate and everything that you could want. Yes it was "pretend", but they were impacted too in coming on the scene.

Check out the video and the photos of the day. Remember this is a reenactment. No one was really injured or died. But remember this too, the next time you get behind the wheel after having a drink, or drive while texting. Unfortunately the results then will be real.