For more information contact: Boonshoft School of Medicine Marketing and Communications, Cindy Young at (937) 775-2951, or Phillip Neal at (937) 775-4587

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 21, 2008

WSU Boonshoft School of Medicine golf scramble to support innovative intervention program, memorial scholarship fund

First annual event at NCR Country Club to honor the memory of the late Harvey A. Siegal, Ph.D., founder of the Weekend Intervention Program

DAYTON, Ohio—When Harvey A. Siegal, Ph.D., founded the Weekend Intervention Program (WIP) in 1978, he had no idea that the groundbreaking program would eventually help more than 55,000 participants and inspire imitators throughout North America.

At the time, Siegal, a Wright State University professor and nationally recognized leader in the research of substance abuse prevention and treatment, simply wanted to offer a more effective alternative to jail sentences for alcohol- and drug-related driving offenses. The residential program he created, which includes two to three days of intensive education and counseling, has benefited thousands of people in eight Southwest Ohio counties over the course of three decades. The program has helped participants avoid incarceration, address their addiction issues and significantly reduce the incidence of repeat offenses.

To support WIP and honor the memory of Siegal, who died of cancer in 2004, the Boonshoft School of Medicine is hosting the first annual Harvey A. Siegal Memorial Golf Scramble on September 8 at the NCR Country Club in Kettering. The event will feature a shotgun start at 11:30 a.m., 18 holes of golf on the country club’s award-winning South Course and an afternoon awards ceremony and reception.

Proceeds from the event will benefit WIP and support the creation of a memorial scholarship fund in Siegal’s name for the study of addiction medicine. For information on registration or sponsorship opportunities for the event, contact Phyllis Cole, WIP program director, at (937) 775-3050 or WIP@wright.edu.

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