MADD would like to thank the following 2009 Walk Like MADD individuals, teams and walk sites for their exceptional dedication and commitment to raising money and upholding the mission and Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving. 

Top Virtual Walker – Steven Pierce – 2009 Colorado Walk Like MADD – Raised $4,600

Top Walker – Jason Smith – 2009 Baltimore Walk Like MADD – Raised $11,205

Top Law Enforcement Team – Torchbearers – 2009 Dallas Walk Like MADD – Raised $8,251

Top Family & Friends Team – Sweet Jason Shein – 2009 Long Island Walk Like MADD – Raised $22,226

Top Academic Team – Madison MADDness – 2009 Virginia Walk Like MADD – Raised $8,938

Top Corporate Team – April Skate – 2009 Orange County Walk Like MADD – Raised $18,860

Award of Excellence - Minneapolis, MN – 2009 Walk Like MADD – Raised over $83,872

Award of Achievement – Orange County, CA – 2009 Walk Like MADD – Raised over $175,159

Award of Achievement – Los Angeles, CA – 2009 Walk Like MADD – Raised over $110,500

Award of Achievement – Long Island, NY – 2009 Walk Like MADD – Raised over $142,213

Thanks for everything you do!!  Please visit walklikemadd.org to sign up for upcoming Walk Like MADD events in your community. 

Woodward Park was the place to be in the central valley of California for the inaugural Walk like MADD!  Walkers supporting MADD’s mission were in abundance as they toured Woodward Park. Over 50 teams came in custom shirts as they made their way under the balloon arch. The California Highway Patrol was represented by over 125 walkers, including Chipper the CHP mascot.  The memorial ceremony was highlighted with a dove release while a young lady signed to Alicia Keys No One.   Loved ones left behind were able to leave a message on wings of a dove. Fresno Police Officer Association greeted returning walkers with hamburgers and hotdogs. The day was made complete with friends and family enjoying fabulous activities and entertainment. The success of the Walk like MADD is owed to the volunteers who made up the committee. They worked tirelessly to ensure that the Walk like MADD was the premier event in the Central Valley. Because of their efforts this first time walk raised $20,000 over it’s goal for a total of $70,500.  

MADD Long Island’s Walk Like MADD brought another large crowd this year, with over 54 teams and 1,300 walkers who raised over $163,000!  The walkers answered the call again this year, knowing that each step taken and pledge made saves lives from drunk driving. 

On a day that was supposed to be cloudy, we had the sun shine down as walkers celebrated the lives of the ones they’ve lost and raised awareness for the preventable and violent crime of drunk driving.  They walked around beautiful Farmingdale State College Campus and returned to enjoy the fun activities, including Ridgewood Savings Bank’s Guitar Hero Contest, the Top Dog Competition, Cotton Candy and Ralph’s Ices at the Wells Fargo tent, Photos with the many characters: GEICO’s Gecko, United Skates’ Skateasaurus and the State Farm Bear among many others.  Walkers collected great giveaways from Dave & Buster’s, Long Island Parent, Black Rose Productions and Health & Safety Vendors.  They caught t-shirts and beach balls thrown through the air, watched as the Suffolk County PD demonstrated breath testers and turned on their lights on their motorcycle, and learned about seat belt safety through Nassau County PD roll-over car.  A special shout out has to go out to the Walk’s Steering Committee for putting this whole thing together – so thank you Patrick, Joanna, Jane, Christine and the 60+ other volunteers who helped out!  We’re grateful for the large increase in corporate sponsorships this year, including GEICO, Long Island Radio Group’s KJOY and 94.3, Atlantic Hyundai, Wells Fargo’s Joseph Romagnuolo, Nikon, Estee Lauder, Pugatch & Nikolis, Ridgewood Savings Bank, BBA Photography, Dave & Buster’s, Planet Party Planners, South Bay’s Neighbor, Long Island Parent and Long Island Pulse!  And that’s just to name a few!It’s because of all those walkers and their stories that MADD Long Island works so hard to eliminate drunk driving, and because of all of them that the Walk was such a success!  Until next year!

On a perfect New England spring morning MADD Connecticut kicked-off the Second Annual West Hartford Walk Like MADD. With over 350 walkers, the West Hartford Town Hall was filled with MADD supporters. While many wore t-shirts memorializing a loved one, others proudly represented their high school sports team. You couldn’t miss “The Purple Hippos” in their bright purple hats, or team “HYPE” as they danced down the street in their tie-dyed youth group t-shirts. Without a doubt this was not a sorrowful event, rather one of joy as those Connecticut lives that were lost at the hands of a drunk driver were celebrated by their friends, family, community and strangers. Even testimony from a young woman who lost her leg in a drunk driving crash brought tears of hope and inspiration. This strength and motivation was shared by each of the 47 teams in attendance, all which played a role in raising $20,000 over the goal. However, none of this success would have been possible without the unwavering support of the Walk Committee, made up of representatives from the West Hartford Community. Months before the walk the committee worked tirelessly to have space donated, draw local vendor participation and community support. Thanks to the support of these 10 committee members and the West Hartford Community, the Second Annual West Hartford Walk Like MADD was an absolute success raising more than $72,000.

On Saturday March 27, Raleigh NC held its 5th annual Walk like MADD 5k and raised over $107,000.00! The event was a huge success, and everyone had a wonderful time, even if it was only 33 degrees at the start of the walk!! The opening ceremony included a very endearing victim speech by Nicole Hutchinson and was followed by our honorary walk chairman, Mr. Gene Conti, the Secretary of the Department of Transportation in North Carolina. We would like to thank our generous sponsors, teams, participants and supporters. Without all of you we could not continue our life saving mission.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving – North Texas Affiliate is pleased to announce the 1^st annual Walk Like MADD Fort Worth fundraising event was an enormous success. The generous Fort Worth community welcomed Walk Like MADD with open arms, thus making our first walk in Fort Worth a triumphant one. Through the efforts of our corporate supporters, teams, victims, and community, the walk raised $48,000, which exceeded our goal of $40,000 significantly.  Thank you to all who participated, we could not have done it without you and cannot wait to see you next year.

This just in: Walk Like MADD, the signature fundraising event for Mothers Against Drunk Driving, just hit the 2 million dollar mark.  With more walks to go there is still time to participate.  Register for a walk or be a virtual walker at www.walklikemadd.org.  Our friends in Philadelphia will Walk Like MADD on October 10^th.  On October 17^th our friends and supporters will Walk Like MADD in Branford, CT, Cincinnati, OH and Sacramento, CA.  The Albuquerque Walk Like MADD is on October 24^th.  And Palm Beach will Walk Like MADD on October 31^st.  Bring your family and friends out to support victims of this terrible crime and help us eliminate drunk driving.

Eight-year-old Joshua Adams was a smiling bundle of energy. He was an athlete who enjoyed playing baseball and basketball. His skills and stature on the basketball court earned him the title of "Little Shaq." Joshua was also a second-grade honor student who played the piano.

It was his love of music and family that motivated Joshua to get up early on Mother’s Day morning, May 11, 2008. His older brother MacKenzie was scheduled to sing in two gospel concerts that day. MacKenzie drove the family van with their mother Darlene in the front passenger seat. Joshua fell asleep, unbuckled, in the back seat. It was 5:17AM when MacKenzie came to a complete stop at a traffic light. A drunk driver on a suspended license with alcohol and cocaine in his system, going over 70 miles per hour, struck the van from behind and changed their lives forever. Precious Joshua was killed instantly.

Joshua left behind grieving family and friends devastated by this tragic, totally preventable loss. Mother’s day will forever be a sad anniversary for the Adams family.

On Saturday, November 1st, 2008 two separate walk teams honoring the memory of Joshua participated in the first Walk Like MADD event in Northern Virginia. Joshua’s mother, Darlene led ‘A Voice for Joshua’ with 61 members raising $4,579. A second team ‘Jordan’s Mission’ was headed by Joshua’s neighborhood friend, Jordan Rigney, age 13. Jordan helped to raise $2,653 most of it from small donations collected door-to-door.

Join Joshua’s family and friends in Walking Like MADD. Let’s eliminate drunk driving and end the heartache of victims and survivors.

 Remembering Dustin Church

 Our son Dustin grew up in Branford, Connecticut.  He went to Tisko and Walsh Schools and after three years in a private school in Kent, Connecticut, came back to graduate from Branford High School.  With his red hair, freckles and engaging personality, he had become part of the fabric of the community.  Tragically, he never had a chance to take all of his experiences to college and beyond because he was killed by a drunk driver.  Dustin was only 18 years old.   You can imagine that for a parent, it is the worst possible news you can receive. That news came on July 10th, 2004.  We had lost a son and our lives had been changed forever.  Since then, Mothers Against Drunk Driving has played an important role for us, providing support, guidance and friendship.  MADD has also engaged us to work with them to change legislation in Connecticut that will save lives.  They have asked us to speak at victim impact panels, law enforcement gatherings and to state legislators in an effort to eliminate drunk driving.  Colleen and I are asking you to help us remember Dustin by joining your local Walk Like MADD event.   Even if you didn’t know Dustin, you do know the fun loving boy in your neighborhood or the girl who waits for the bus every morning near your house or maybe your own child or friend or relative.  Dustin represents all of them and your donation will help MADD save those lives. – Colleen and Skip Church

Regarded as the happiest child on the block, 18-month-old Ava Lopez was known to blow kisses at cars that passed by her home.But on the evening of April 23, the toddler with a contagious smile didn’t get a chance to blow a kiss at the alleged drunk driver who was operating the late model Mercedes that struck her, her mother and her 3-year-old sister and then fled the scene.Instead, the young girl found herself lying facedown in the grass, fighting for her life. Her mother and sister suffered minor injuries.Ava suffered head trauma and a pulmonary contusion from the crash. She remained in critical condition for over 2 weeks before being transferred to a local rehabilitation facility.  Despite her steps toward recovery it is still too early to determine whether she will suffer any long-term neurological damage.For many people in the neighborhood the crash is a haunting memory, but the community rallied to show their support.

Pink ribbons were tied to signs, lampposts and trees throughout the gated neighborhood and pink All for Ava t-shirts were created and sold as a fundraiser.  The All for Ava team raised over $7,500 for the San Antonio Walk Like MADD event held on May 16^th, 2009.

 Join All for Ava in Walking Like MADD and help MADD in the Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving!