A Free SUV in the Name of a Safe Prom Print E-mail
By Rob Kuznia   
Monday, June 04 2007

The local PTAs and Toyota of Santa Barbara give a senior a vehicle every year.
The local PTAs and Toyota of Santa Barbara gave a senior a vehicle. Rob Kuznia
Even though he won’t be able to take his prize home, Dos Pueblos High School foreign exchange student Matt Comer raised his hands and shouted in triumph Monday after learning he won a raffle for a small SUV.

Comer was the winner of an annual vehicle giveaway sponsored jointly by the PTAs of the three local public high schools and Toyota of Santa Barbara. The aim is to curb drinking and driving on prom night, which occurred last month for Santa Barbara, San Marcos and Dos Pueblos high schools.

Last month, students who stayed till the 5 a.m. finale of their PTA-sponsored alcohol-free after-prom bash became eligible for a drawing at the end of the event.

Matt Comer celebrates after winning the Nissan.
Matt Comer celebrates after winning the Nissan. Photo by Rob Kuznia/SBN
The five winners from each school – 15 in total -- assembled on Monday evening in the parking lot of the car dealership on Hollister Avenue. The coveted prize was a 1995 Nissan Pathfinder, worth an estimated $7,500.

Before the drawing, San Marcos High School student Colin Martorana – who next fall will begin attending Santa Barbara City College – said he was surprised to get as far as he had.

“I usually don’t win anything,” he said.

On Monday, he won something – just not the big thing. Like every student who showed up to the dealership, Martorana’s name was picked for one of the cash prizes of between $50 and $100. This meant that the big-ticket winner of the event – Comer – won by virtue of never getting his name picked.

It came down to two contestants.
It came down to two contestants. Photo by Rob Kuznia
A native of New Zealand, Comer, who his staying with local hosts Cheri and Troy Davis, said he plans to return to his homeland in two weeks.

“I’ll probably sell it,” he said, shortly after a jumping for joy with the Davises. “It will probably pay off the cost of this trip.”

Comer said his mother gave him an interest-free loan for his Santa Barbara adventure, which he figures cost him around $3,500.

“When I got back I was going to work to pay it off, but now I won’t have to,” he said.

The prize: a 1995 Nissan Pathfinder.
The prize: a 1995 Nissan Pathfinder. Photo by Rob Kuznia
As for the booze-free post-prom parties, it turns out they did more than merely help a lot of nervous parents get to sleep on prom night. Many students were surprised by how fun the parties were, said Terri Allison, a parent who helped organize the Santa Barbara High bash at Zodo’s bowling alley. She said of the 350 students who attended, around 100 stayed till the bitter end.

One of the biggest hits, she said, was the hypnotist, who was able to convince students that their chairs became extremely hot whenever he touched his nose – causing them to jump out of their seats. He also persuaded the students – boys included – to pretend they won the Miss America contest.

“One boy said he knew what was happening the whole time, but he still couldn’t stop himself,” she said.
 
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