Operation Snowball & Illinois Teen Institute Blog

Most weekends, teenagers head to the mall, go to the movies or just hang out at home.

But for one weekend every month or so, some teens spend their time with Operation Snowball, an anti-drug, anti-alcohol retreat program held at various high schools throughout the state.

Photo courtesy Pleasant Plains. Justin Coy gets roped during the Operation Snowball, an anti-drug, anti-alcohol retreat at Pleasant Plains High School.

In October, Pleasant Plains High School hosted its annual Snowball weekend. Participant Chrissy Miller, a senior at the school, called it “a place where no one forces their opinion on you. Nobody judges you here.”

Students who attend a Snowball retreat spend a weekend learning about the effects of drugs and alcohol and listening to other teens who have experienced those effects first-hand.

Plains is not the only school to host a Snowball retreat this year. Glenwood, Southeast and Sacred Heart-Griffin high schools all have retreats planned in upcoming months. Students do not have to be enrolled at a school hosting a retreat to attend.

Some of the teens who attend Snowball retreats come from families with alcoholics and drug addicts. A few others said they have friends who have essentially ruined their lives because of their addictions.

And a few come, as Plains freshman Justin Coy said, “because it’s a good time.”

At Pleasant Plains’ Snowball, organizers chose “Transformers” as the theme.

“If you make good choices, you can transform your future. The whole weekend was focused on not only transforming their future, but also building strong relationships,” said Rosiland Dennis, Plains’ Snowball coordinator.

Danielle Fox, a junior at Pleasant Plains, has experienced the destructive effects of alcohol addiction. Her dad died seven years ago in a motorcycle accident.

“He was an alcoholic and had been sober for four months. Some believe he was on his way to a bar when he got in the accident,” she said.

Danielle has been attending Snowballs and sharing her story with others.

“If you’re going through it, you’re not alone,” Danielle said during the Plains event to anyone who was struggling with the effects of drugs and alcohol. She also said friends who experienced difficulties after being pressured to drink and do drugs say they regret their decisions.

“All the opportunities they lost were not worth fitting in,” she said.

Pleasant Plains senior Koti Pier and her sister Kari, a junior, have been participating in Snowballs since each was a freshman. Both are now leaders. They also come from a family that includes alcoholics and come to Snowball because they want a different lifestyle.

They said they know teens need a good support group to stay away from drugs and alcohol. They also have learned that attending Snowball every year helps students become closer to everyone else who attends.

Throughout the weekend at the Plains Snowball, the students expressed themselves in different ways and applied the information they learned from the speakers.

One form of expression included “Warm Fuzzies,” which were balls of yarn every teen carried. If someone paid them a compliment, the recipient would give the person giving the compliment a piece of yarn. Eventually, the small balls of yarn turn into big, warm fuzzies.

Sunday morning of the Plains Snowball, the students had a choice of two activities: a Sunday morning worship service or Sunrise Sharing. The worship service offered a church-like setting with acoustic worship songs and small group discussions. In Sunrise Sharing, teens had the opportunity to share something that was special, such as a poem or a song, or thank anyone who has continually supported them.

They also had a “Someone Special” banner set up in the auditorium. The banner let everyone write down the name of someone special whom they wanted to thank for making a difference in their lives.

Many students said they loved being able to openly express themselves.

“It really impacts the people that come here,” said Rachel Hergenrother, a senior at Pleasant Plains and a Snowball volunteer organizer.

The weekend also included games and activities that promoted teamwork and unity.

In addition to all the fun the students had, “the ultimate high,” Koti said, “is to get people involved and to know you made an impact in their life.”

Mychael Overton is a sophomore at Calvary Academy.