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. 

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

More than 3,000 participants showed their support for MADD North Texas at our 6^th annual Walk Like MADD in Uptown Dallas on April 25, 2009, which was locally presented by GEICO.  Rebecca Miller, from The 33 News, showed her support by emceeing the event. 

 There was food, fun and entertainment for people of all ages; Kids were able to enjoy face painters, balloon artists, games and cotton candy while the Teen Scene hosted a lyric contest, Wii competitions, and dancing.  Victims and their families were able to offer support for each other in the Victims Survivors area and many teams wore shirts in honor of a loved one who has been injured or killed by drunk driving.  Even dogs were able to enjoy the day at the Pooch Parlor.  The Health and Safety Fair provided participants with useful information and fun, such as free massages, giveaways and interlock demonstrations. To pay tribute to drunk driving victims, 1,300 pairs of shoes were displayed to represent the number of lives lost in Texas due to drunk driving in 2007. Texas leads the nation in drunk driving fatalities and almost 25% of those deaths occurred in North Texas.    

While participants remembered those lives lost, they also had a chance to celebrate their fundraising success, which will help MADD North Texas continue to support victims and educate the youth, all at no-cost.The drum line and cheerleading squad from South Oak Cliff High School kicked off the 5k walk with their cheers and beats that could be heard all around the neighborhood.  Walkers were able to enjoy a relaxing walk through the Uptown area, where many cars and people were able to see and hear the supporters of MADD!   Along the route, they were greeted with water, food and cheers from The Roy Williams Safety Net Foundation, Greenz and Hillcrest Bank.

Thanks to the hard work of all, MADD North Texas raised over $135,000 to help support our efforts to eliminate drunk driving.  Next year, we look forward to adding a second walk in Fort Worth, which will allow more people from all 31 counties we serve to participate in the walk itself.  

Lights, sirens, and walking….

That’s what was happing in Houston, TX on April 4^th. Houston held its fourth annual Walk Like MADD at MacGregor park. 

More than 400 walkers came out to Walk Like MADD and to help in keeping our communities safe. Deborah Duncan kicked off the event; along with the Houston Aeros dance team, the Aerosdynamics, and their mascot Chili.  The walk was started with a police helicopter buzz by. 

Demonstrations of alcohol ignition interlock took place before and after the event; along with many booths participating in the health and safety fair.   There were police vehicles lined up for walkers to see inside the vehicles, and to play with the sirens and lights. Roxy and Shadow showed off their skills in the K-9 demonstration, and the BAT Mobil was there to explore.    It was a nice day, and the park atmosphere was great for the participants. 

On Saturday, I participated along with 3,000 other walkers, in the Dallas Walk Like MADD event.

While sporting my new 2009 WLM T-shirt around town after the event, several people asked me, “What does ‘one in three’ mean?” 

“I’m glad you asked,” I said.  “Did you know that one in three individuals will be involved in an alcohol related crash at some point in their lifetime?” 

What a shocking statistic! 

When you wear your official 2009 WLM t-shirt, remember that it is an opportunity to start a conversation about drunk driving and share that it is not a crime that only impacts other people.  We are all at risk but there is a solution…

MADD knows how to eradicate drunk driving in America within our lifetime.  The Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving calls for a breath alcohol ignition interlock on all first-time convicted offenders. 

An interlock devise can prevent a vehicle from being driven by a convicted drunk driver.  It stops offenders in their tracks.  They simply cannot start their car.

Interlocks are effective.  There are over 20 high quality studies on the effectiveness of interlocks on first-time and repeat offenders.  All show decreases of 50 to 90 percent in repeat offenses when the interlock is on the vehicle. 

For more information about interlocks, visit madd.org at http://www.madd.org/Drunk-Driving/Drunk-Driving/Campaign-to-Eliminate-Drunk-Driving/Ignition-Interlocks.aspx

Music City was a rockin’ on Saturday, June 21, as more than 200 walkers participated in the Nashville Walk Like MADD 5K walk. In its third year, the Nashville event raised more than $72,000 to support MADD’s mission and the Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving.

Anna Marie of the Mix 92.9 Morning Show kicked off the festivities as award-winning country music star, Julie Roberts, distributed Top Walker Awards.

The media had a strong presence taking extensive shots of the interlock demonstration and interviewing Glynn Birch, former MADD National President as of July 1st, and Julie Roberts.

Before lacing up their shoes for the Saturday walk, officers and staffers from the Metro Police, the Vanderbilt Police and the Tennessee Highway Patrol received some much needed pampering with pedicures from the Relache Spa at the Gaylord Opryland.

The Sunshine State was shining bright as more than 400 walkers came out to show their support for Mothers Against Drunk Driving at the Tampa Walk Like MADD 5K walk on Saturday, June 28th.

In its first year, the Tampa event raised more than $68,000 to support MADD’s mission and the Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving.

One of the highlights of the day was when MADD’s current national president, Glynn Birch, introduced MADD’s New National President, Laura Dean Mooney, who assumed office July 1. The opening ceremony began at 7:00 a.m. and support from local law enforcement was represented followed by police cadets who lined the walk in the park.

The media presence was outstanding with four cameras, two from Bay News 9 which are a division of the Walk’s walks major sponsor the Bright House Network, WTVT-TV and WFLA-TV. Reporters interviewed Glynn and some victim survivors, captured footage from the ignition interlock demonstration, as well as obtained footage of the walk.

Photo: julieroberts.com

Now there is another great reason to Walk Like MADD in Nashville on June 21.

Award-winning country music star, Julie Roberts will join MADD on walk day to help eliminate drunk driving in Tennessee.

Roberts will be on hand to sign autographs, hand out Top Walker Awards as well as perform. The Nashville walk starts at 2600 West End Ave. in Centennial Park.

Opening ceremonies begin at 9 a.m. with the walk getting underway at 9 a.m.