It is fair to say that no one in Talbot County had any idea how the first year of Talbot Goes Purple was going to go. The commitment was there from the two host organizations, the Talbot County Sheriff’s Office and the Tidewater Rotary Club; dozens of volunteers were ready to go; both the Star-Democrat and Easton Utilities were on board; and the county’s public and private schools were all in, but until the first purple light was turned on, it was anyone’s guess how this would all turn out.
The answer came quickly. Within days of the launch, it was clear that Talbot County’s towns and residents got the message. In short order, the entire county almost turned purple overnight, and Talbot Goes Purple must go down as one of the region’s most successful public education campaigns in its history.
It’s hard to repeat this kind of success, but even before plans were worked out for 2018, Talbot Goes Purple had already started with the best of news; the other four counties of the Mid-Shore, Caroline, Dorchester, Kent and Queen Anne’s, would launch their own programs starting September 1.
The Spy thought it would be a good idea to catch up with Lucie Hughes, who worked with Sheriff Joe Gamble last year to launch Talbot Goes Purple, to assess that critical first year and what is planned this year.
This video is approximately five minutes in length. For more information about Talbot Goes Purple please go here.
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