This year’s Mary F. Haag Coalition of the Year Award is presented to the Step Up Anderson Township. 

Anderson Township has a rich history of parents and community leaders coming together to address youth substance use. In 2018, Step Up Anderson was started in response to an alarming increase in youth vaping. Since then, Step Up Anderson has steadily built the capacity to raise awareness and make measurable, valuable changes in their township to address not only vaping but also the use and misuse of alcohol, opioids, and marijuana.  

Step Up Anderson members include dedicated community sectors - parents, grandparents, caregivers, members of the faith community, local businesses, educators, township trustees, and community partners like Xavier University, Interact for Health, pediatricians, and mental health providers.

They are a reliable, knowledgeable community resource and have a strong presence in Anderson Township. They purchased and helped support the implementation of Screenagers “Under the Influence” and “Growing up in a Digital Age” for teachers to facilitate in the middle school and two high schools. They have used billboards to raise awareness of the opioid epidemic and the risks of marijuana use. Countless community presentations, a monthly newsletter, a helpful website, and most recently, the launch of a podcast on YouTube, “Step Up to Save Our Children” are all the ways they continue to educate and raise awareness about a myriad of important issues facing families and kids in their community. 

Step Up Anderson founder and director, Denise Mayer accepted the award.

The Mary F. Haag Coalition of the Year Award was created in honor of former PF! President/CEO, Mary F. Haag. The coalition receiving this award has made a positive impact on their community by implementing evidence-based prevention practices and building prevention capacity within the coalition and across community sectors.