“We’re not invincible, but we are irreplaceable.”

That’s the slogan for Waterloo High School’s SAFE Club, a student-led team whose goal is to promote safe driving among their fellow students as well as educate them about other healthy lifestyle choices.

Not only has that goal been reached, but the Illinois Department of Transportation presented a $2,500 check to the club to be used toward post-prom for finishing first in its region in this year’s Operation Teen Safe Driving program.

The award money was a timely gift for WHS students, who were able to enjoy extra post-prom activities this past Saturday with the help of the club’s efforts, according to Brianne Ricke, a social worker at WHS and adviser to the 21-member club.

“It was really cool. The kids got creative when they saw what other students responded to and we were able to win first place this year,” she said, adding that the WHS SAFE Club took second place last year.

Waterloo beat out 13 other schools to take first place in the OTSD program.

“When we’ve had the accidents that we’ve had in our community, the kids really are interested in what SAFE Club promotes,” she said.

In addition to their contribution to Waterloo’s prom night fanfare, members of the SAFE Club were offered free admission to post-prom from Kelly Lerch, the school district’s wellness coordinator.

The Illinois Department of Transportation, Ford Motor Company Fund, Allstate Foundation, Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White and Illinois State Police all work with Waterloo students as part of Operation Teen Safe Driving.

OTSD began in 2007 in Tazewell County and expanded to a statewide program in 2008. Since the onset of the program, teen fatalities have dropped by 54.2 percent, according to IDOT. The program lets teens create their own safe driving campaigns and share them with their peers, in an effort to promote safe driving habits among a traditionally high-risk age group.