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Katie's Story Resonates through SUNY Canton

  Every choice comes with a consequence; choices made while intoxicated have the potential to not only affect your life, but the lives of those around you.

This was the moral of "Katie's Story" as told by Bob Almeter in a heartfelt tale of a father who lost his daughter after she and two friends rode with a drunk driver.

The recent presentation of "Katie's Story" at SUNY Canton, sponsored by the Counseling Office and Student Government organizations, was part of an effort to engage students in discussions about alcohol and making choices that have serious ramifications. "Katie's Story" resonated in the hearts of many of the attendants who filled the SUNY Canton Kingston Theater, according to Daniel J. Sweeney, Vice President for Student Affairs.

As one of the members of Canton Alcohol Initiative, SUNY Canton strives to bring presentations to the campus and community to increase awareness of the dangers of alcohol, Sweeney said. The Canton Alcohol Initiative also includes St. Lawrence University, Canton Central School, and Village of Canton representatives.

The audience was somber, in some cases moved to tears, as Almeter spoke of his late daughter and her three friends. Katie, who was a scholar and an athlete, went to a different college than her two longtime friends, Emily Collings and Rachel Nargiso. The three decided to meet for dinner and for a chance to catch up. After a wonderful night of fun, and only a few drinks, the three girls got into a car with Robert Koester, another student who was intoxicated. "The tires squealed on that big Jeep Grand Cherokee as he pulled away from the curb," Almeter said.

Koester drove his car full of passengers into a grove of trees, less than a mile from where they had departed. Almeter described each of the three girls' deaths in heart wrenching detail, as he wiped the tears from his own eyes. Koester was charged with driving while intoxicated and four counts of second-degree manslaughter. "When I do these presentations I give out key chains," Almeter said as he distributed fobs with a picture of Katie and a domino with one dot on the top half and fours dot on the bottom.

This was to remind students how the decision of one affected four. Katie was one of the four affected by one. "I want everyone to be aware when they stick those keys in their ignition that the choice they are about to make may very well be the last decision that they ever made," Almeter said, referring to the choice to drive after consuming alcohol.

This presentation will be followed by an April 2006 exhibit entitled "Friends One Day – One Wrong Turn" which shows some of the objects that describe Katie's and the other two girls' lives.

September 23, 2005

Media inquiries should be directed to Gregory Kie, Media Relations Coordinator, or call 315/386-7527.

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