Youth Rally at the Capitol Building in Hartford, CT

On Wednesday, March 31, 2004 hundreds of youth and their families joined together in Hartford for the 9th Annual Youth Rally Against Tobacco. The rally, sponsored MATCH Coalition and the American Heart Association was held in conjunction with National Kick BUTTS Day.

The purpose of the rally is to promote youth as leaders of the tobacco control movement in Connecticut. It is a great opportunity for students to experience our participatory democracy and to raise awareness regarding the toll of tobacco and secondhand smoke. The Youth Rally has been successful in helping to convince state legislators of the need to provide smokefree workplaces for all Connecticut residents.

Photos by: www.johnmcolumbus.com

Walter Kerr, student MC for the youth rally	Briarsen Burke, another student MC for the youth rally
CJ Grise, St. Joseph School, essay winner	Ashley Vens, Griswold High School essay winner

We would like to thank the following schools for their participation in the Annual Youth Rally Against Tobacco at the State Capitol on Wednesday, March 31, 2004:

Amity Junior High School, Bethany
Career High School, New Haven
DePaolo Middle School, Plantsville
East Shore Middle School, Milford
Griswold High School,Griswold
Harry S. Fisher Middle School, Terryville
Hispanic Health Council Youth Alliance, Hartford
JFK Middle School, Plantsville
Mid-Fairfield Substance Abuse Coalition, Norwalk
P.R.I.D.E. Cultural Center, Waterbury
Rushford Center Smart Leaders, Middletown
Shelton Youth Services, Shelton
Terryville High School,Terryville
Thomaston High School, Thomaston
Valley Substance Abuse Action Council's Drums Not Drugs, Ansonia
William J. Johnson Middle School, Colchester
Woodstock Academy, Woodstock
Wooster Middle School, Stratford