Wellness Resource Center honors four recipients at awards ceremony

COLUMBIA — Three organizations and one club owner were honored with Wellness Resource Center awards Thursday afternoon for helping to decrease binge drinking and underage drinking rates in Columbia.

The center's awards began more than 15 years ago and are meant to recognize people and organizations that strongly collaborate with the center on its prevention efforts, a release stated. 

The following people and organizations were honored:

• Downtown Safety Task Force: The task force has "done a great job of making the downtown area safer," said Kim Dude, director of the Wellness Resource Center. She credits it with bars and restaurants doing a better job of checking identifications for legal age limits. She added that they also hold students and businesses accountable for their actions.

• Matt Itswan from Déjà Vu: Itswan, manager and co-owner of Déjà Vu Comedy Club has worked to make sure the club's parties are held in a safe, responsible way. According to Dude, police officers are referring other bar owners to Itswan to learn how to conduct their businesses safely and responsibly.

• Sustain Mizzou: Sustain Mizzou has collaborated with the Wellness Resource Center, especially during tailgates and football games, to ensure the safe consumption of alcohol on game days. As the recycling group on campus, Sustain Mizzou makes sure beer cans and bottles are properly cleaned up, Dude said. The organization also helps the center put out safe information about tailgating.

• MSA/GPC Craft Studio: The Craft Studio was honored for its work providing alcohol-free alternatives for students. The organization provides a fun, yet sober environment for MU students.

Dude said she hopes the work of these award recipients helps “ensure alcohol is safely and responsibly consumed in our community.”