my dear friends who lost their 16 year old daughter at the hands of a drunk driver. In two weeks they will spend their first Christmas without her. I cannot begin to imagine their pain and what they will be going through.
To be honest I’m not mad, I’m seething.
My friends are currently dealing with the trial, which I sincerely hope the judge puts the guy in jail and they throw away the keys. But don’t even get me started on that.
Since Alayna’s passing I joined MADD online which has given me some comfort knowing this wonderful organization is doing its best to help keep our children safe.
As a member I received an email this week from Laura Dean-Mooney, MADD National President offering several fast and FREE (or inexpensive) ways that can make a real difference to help eliminate drunk driving, serve victims of drunk driving, and reduce underage drinking:
While none of the following will bring back Alayna, speaking out for her gives me peace of mind at night. It gives me the opportunity to write about her and keep her memory alive. My friends will be forever without their daughter and I don’t want to forget her. If you are reading this, I hope you understand.
- Give the Gift of a Designated Driver. As you can see, MADD has a (free) coupon you can give to loved ones that entitles them to a sober ride home during holiday festivities. Play your part by downloading and sharing the coupon to tell friends that “Tonight, I’m DD.”
- Start the discussion. If you have teens, you can start the discussion with them about alcohol. You can download our parent handbook here that provides ideas on the best way to start and continue that discussion to minimize their chances of drinking.
- Join MADD online. MADD is building robust communities on Twitter. If you use these popular social networking sites, we’d love to have you join us and join the discussion on how to end drunk driving once and for all.
- Pledge your support. Please take the Pledge to Eliminate Drunk Driving. Signing this pledge online only takes a moment and helps you stand to be counted on this vitally important issue.
- Two-minute activism. MADD has a number of emails you can send to your legislators about important drunk driving, underage drinking and victim rights issues. Your voice can help make a difference in whether lifesaving legislation gets passed.
- Renew magazines. The holidays are a great time to catch up on your reading. You can help MADD by renewing your favorite magazines at http://www.dialamericamags.com/Default.aspx?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1. When you order a magazine through DialAmerica, just specify you’re ordering on behalf of MADD and they will donate 12.5% of the purchase price to fight drunk driving.
- Get a window cling. Thanks to our friends at Henley Enterprises, you can purchase your 2010 Tie One On for Safety window cling at either a Valvoline Instant Oil Change or AAMCO Transmission location. These clings, which contain a graphic of the iconic MADD red ribbon and discount coupons on service, are sold for $1 with 100% of the proceeds being donated to MADD. For more details, and a list of locations, log on to www.govioc.com.
- Forward this to family and friends. The more support we have from dedicated people like you, the faster we will realize our vision of a world without drunk driving.
PS. If you would like to donate during the holidays please click here, MADD would greatly appreciate your support.
