Walk Like MADD 2014 Recap

November 10, 2014

Dear friends,

On Saturday, October 18th, we completed our 8th “Walk Like MADD” and Whitney’s All Stars were again shining brightly. We had 61 walkers + 3 in strollers + adorable dogs and 118 virtual walkers cheering us on from afar. Our team was #2 in fundraising with an amazing $7780 for MADD. Over the years, our team has raised a grand total of $55,352.00 for MADD. Here is a little recap:

Year	Participants	$$ for MADD
2014	64 walkers + 118 virtual	$7780
2013	47 walkers + 91 virtual	$6370
2012	82 walkers + 88 virtual	$8881
2011	95 walkers + 30 virtual	$6250
2010	93 walkers + 75 virtual	$7301
2009	79 walkers + 94 virtual	$6050
2008	135 walkers	$6300
2007	95 walkers	$6420

Special thanks to the NCL Peninsula Chapter and Carol McFarland for a great turn out. Whitney’s friends and fellow Ticktockers ‘05 also joined us for this walk and that meant so much to us!

As you know, the purpose of the walk is to raise awareness about the dangers of drinking and driving. We spoke to those on our team and shared Whitney’s story. Each drunk driving death IS totally preventable.

MADD has had a tremendous impact:

• drunk driving deaths have been cut in half since it was founded in 1980
• drunk driving deaths have decreased 27% since the Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving began in 2006
• 24 states now require interlock devices for repeat DUI offenders

But……

teen alcohol use kills 5000 people each year–that is more than all illegal drugs combined

every 2 minutes a person is injured in a drunk driving accident

drunk driving kills almost 10,000 people in the US each year; one every 51 minutes or 27 people a day

most important of all these facts…death and injuries caused by drunk driving are 100% preventable

Please make the right decision and help your friends make the right decision– do NOT drink and drive and don’t let others get behind the wheel after drinking either.
Because of one person’s bad choice,

• we sat vigil at Whitney’s bed for four days as she lay unconscious before she died.
• we were forced to make the horrendously difficult decision to donate Whitney’s heart, liver, kidneys and corneas.
• we will never have our daughter Whitney in our lives again.

Thank you for supporting MADD and for supporting us. Even though we do not plan to lead another walk, we will remain advocates for MADD and we will educate in other ways and, sadly, we will forever be known as parents who lost their beautiful, fun 19 year old daughter to a drunk driver. Thanks again for your love and support.

Love,

Marlene and Steve Young
msy@kyl.com