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	Fleetguard Sponsors Meth Awareness Day for Cookeville Employees
	30 JUN 05 -- Fleetguard Inc., the global filtration, exhaust, coolant and chemical specialist for diesel and gas powered equipment, is sponsoring a 12-hour Meth Awareness Day on Thursday, June 30 at their Cookeville facility for employees and invited guests from state and local government, law enforcement, and community organizations. "In keeping with our mission to improve the communities in which we live and work, Fleetguard's Cookeville Community Involvement Team (CCIT) is sponsoring this event to raise awareness of the increasing problem with methamphetamine use in our community," said Peggy Harmann, Vice President of Customer Support Excellence & Development for Fleetguard. "Our goal is to raise employee awareness and encourage community involvement to help eliminate this problem in the Upper Cumberland region. We have over 800 employees living and working in this region, and we believe education on this issue can have a great impact." Meth Awareness Day will kick-off at 6 a.m. in the Multi Purpose Room at the Cookeville plant with an Expo featuring community organization information exhibits. From 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., a Meth Awareness Day Forum will feature a panel of local meth experts to answer employee questions and concerns. Panelists include state Senator Charlotte Burks; Betsy Dunn of Tennessee Department of Children's Services; Nikki Payne of Serenity House; Judge Lillie Ann Sells of the Governors Task Force; Dr. Sullivan Smith of the Cookeville Regional Medical Center; and Jennifer Wilkerson of the Upper Cumberland Child Advocacy Center (UCCAC). A $25,000 grant from the Cummins Foundation, the charitable organization celebrating its 50th anniversary this year supported by Cummins Inc., the parent company of Fleetguard, will be presented to Fleetguard's selected community partner organization, Upper Cumberland Child Advocacy Center (UCCAC) during the Forum. Employee donations will also be accepted for UCCAC, including stuffed animals, blankets, pajamas, paper towels, laundry detergent, and office and cleaning supplies. Immediately following the Forum, funds collected a benefit lunch provided by Strouds and Coca-Cola will go toward future meth prevention and research. The Expo will continue until 6 p.m. Employees will receive a free DVD and snacks and can register for door prizes for their participation. Meth is one of the major problems in our community that affects everyone-children, teens, adults, employers, renters, and property owners," said Frank Westbrook, Fleetguard Cookeville Plant Manager. "We hope all our employees will participate to become better educated about meth in our community. This is a proactive step to focus on and help decrease this problem in our community." Harmann pointed out that statistics show that one in seven high school students will try meth, with over 90 percent of first-time meth users becoming hooked after the first try. "In 2004, Tennessee police officers shut down over 1200 meth labs in the state. Since 1999, meth lab busts have more than tripled, so it is obviously a problem that is on the rise in our state," she said. "We have learned that children aged 12-14 who live in smaller towns have more than 100 percent greater likelihood to use meth, so we need to educate our community and get involved to stop this growing trend." Fleetguard Inc. is a wholly owned business unit of Cummins Inc. and the world's leading designer and manufacturer of heavy-duty air, fuel, hydraulic and lube filtration, chemicals and exhaust system technology products for diesel and gas powered equipment. Fleetguard cares about maintaining a cleaner, healthier, and safer environment. Going beyond compliance, Fleetguard proactively seeks improvements to products and processes and offers environmentally friendlier product choices for all major engine systems. Fleetguard's homepage on the Internet can be found at www.fleetguard.com. In North America, customers can call Fleetguard® Customer Assistance at 1-800-22FILTER (1-800-223-4583) for more information.