Utah's First Lady Mary Kaye Huntsman kicked off a new state-wide campaign, Punt the Keys, on Monday, November 10, at the University of Utah. Participating in the kick-off event were Governor Jon Huntsman, Coach Kyle Whittingham, University of Utah football team, Utah Highway Patrol, and two local high school football programs – Judge Memorial and Skyline.

Mrs. Huntsman approached Rick Bartman, principal of Judge Memorial, early in October to get his views on the campaign and to request the participation of the Bulldogs football team. Bartman, along with head football coach James Cordova, was very supportive of the campaign, and invited Mrs. Huntsman to appeal directly to the members of the squad.

"We are happy to participate," said Bruce Garlinghouse, one of the senior captains. "It’s a good cause with a great message."

"It's about making smart choices and dealing with consequences," said Cordova. "Football requires discipline and commitment, as does navigating successfully through the teen years. Anything we can do to encourage our students to be smart and act responsibly, I'm all for it."

The team, along with Mrs. Huntsman, Principal Bartman, Coach Cordova and Coach Stan Finn, gathered in the locker room Monday afternoon to preview the commercial that features University of Utah's punter/kicker, Louie Sakoda. The team was fired up after viewing the commercial and enthusiastically boarded the bus for the trip to the U.

Gathered on the 6th floor of the Rice Eccles Field House, the Judge Memorial football team, in their red jerseys, and the Skyline football team, in their blue jerseys, surrounded Mrs. Huntsman, Coach Whittingham, and the University of Utah football team for a brief presentation featuring remarks by Governor Huntsman and the star of the commercial, Louie Sakoda.

"Kids will see, if you want to get to a certain level in sports or whatever, there's certain sacrifices you need to make," said Sakoda. "You need to live your life right and make good decisions. That's kind of the message I'm trying to convey."

Mrs. Huntsman created the "Power in You" program to reach Utah teens on important issues. Her latest campaign, Punt the Keys, focuses on teen drinking and driving. Judge Memorial Catholic High School will participate in the "Power in You" program's 4th Annual Power Tour on Tuesday, November 25, at the E-Center. This year’s theme is "Attitude."