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MADD's Candlelight Vigil--Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2009, 7:30PM

Douglas Entrance Ballroom, 800 Douglas Road, Coral Gables, FL 33133

While fostering hope, this tribute serves as a time of poignant reflection to remember

and honor those who have been killed or injured in impaired-driving crashes.   You will be

invited to light a candle and say your loved one’s name.

Photo Request:  

If you haven’t done so, please mail a picture of your loved one to: 

MADD 7700 N. Kendall Dr. Ste. 803, Miami , FL   33156 OR email the picture to:

maddmiami@bellsouth.net.  For more information call:  305 273.3744.

Moonlight MADDNESS was FANTASTIC!!!!

More than 3,300 people attended, raising $23,000 for MADD.

Next year's Moonlight MADDness is October 22, 2010 mark your calendars.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Bal Harbour Village , Bay Harbor Islands and Surfside Police Departments hosted the 2^nd annual family DUI awareness and fundraising event, Moonlight MADDness. On October 16th we walked from Ruth K. Broad Bay K-8 Center to the beach *(.8 mile).  The parade was led by Miami Beach High School marching band.  Once there we ate BBQ from Char Hut, music by DJ Alex from Premier Entertainment, fireworks by Zambelli International, Jaws of Life demonstration by Miami-Dade Fire Department,   Helicopter Flyovers, performances by students from our local schools and MORE!

SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR GENEROUS SPONSORS!!!  Bal Harbour Village Police Department - Bay Harbor Islands Police Department - Ruth K. Broad Bay K-8 Center - C-Tracking - Char Hut - Commissioner Sally Heyman - Creative Ad Special Tees - DFASS - Flanigan's - Green Concepts - K Sport - MAJIC 102.7 - Mario the Baker - Mark H. Hildebrandt, PA - Maimi-Dade Fire Department - PAL - Premier Entertainment - Publix - Saint Joseph's Catholic School - Sprint together with Nextel - Tempo Music & Dance Academy - The Miami Beach Coalition - The Village - Town of Surfside Police Department - Tremont Towing - UAIC - United Automobile Insurance Company - World Waste Management - Waste Management, Inc., -Zambelli Fireworks International and Construction Depot.

MADD’s CAMPAIGN TO ELIIMINATE DRUNK DRIVING  is exactly what it says it is: a road map for eliminating drunk driving once and for all. The Campaign calls for intensive, high-visibility law enforcement; mandatory ignition interlocks for all convicted drunk drivers; exploration of advanced vehicle-based technology; and

MADD believes that the reason people continue to drive drunk, despite the devastating effect it has on families, is because they can. Currently, there are several advanced technologies under development that may one day make it impossible for vehicles to be driven by drunks.

Until then, we must rely on proven techniques to reduce drunk driving such as alcohol ignition interlocks and increased high-visibility enforcement, which includes the use of sobriety checkpoints in all 50 states.

There are 1.4 million drunk driving arrests in this country every year and it is critical that these individuals never be allowed to drive drunk again—ignition interlocks are a key factor in ensuring they don’t.

MINIMUM DRINKING AGE:  WHY 21?

One of the most studied, most effective anti-drunk driving laws is under attack.

  Opponents of the law have been appearing in Parade magazine, on MSNBC and Fox News, and in newspapers trying to discredit the law and its effectiveness. MADD is fighting opinion back with the facts. 

The facts are:

• Almost 50 high-quality studies have found conclusively that the 21 minimum drinking age decreases alcohol-related fatalities by 16 percent 
• The brain continues to grow into the early/mid-20s and that drinking before this can damage the brain
• In most countries with lower drinking ages, intoxication is much more common among young people than in the United States

To let people know about these and other facts, we’ve just launched a new Web site at why21.org that provides the truth about underage drinking. With your support, we can stop the misinformation about underage drinking

and help our youth stay alcohol free until the age of 21.

CLICK TO SAVE LIVES, PREVENT INJURIES. Seat belts not only save lives, they are the best defense against a drunk driver. That’s why MADD supports the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s “Click It or Ticket” campaign that runs from May 21-June 3. 

 DID YOU KNOW THAT 45% OF THE PEOPLE KILLED WOULD STILL BE ALIVE IF THEY HAD BUCKLED UP?

MADD has a 24-Hour Live Helpline. Victims can call1-877-MADD-HELP for assistance.

Hundreds of children die every year while riding with a driver who had been drinking. A study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that 2,335 children died in car crashes involving drinking drivers between 1997 and 2002; of those children killed, 68 percent were riding in the car with a drinking driver.

MADD has a series of tips for families and agencies who work with children:

• If you see an adult who is visibly impaired attempting to drive with a child in the car suggest: alternative transportation, recommend the driver postpone travel, or offer to drive the child. Also, call 911 with as much information as possible, document the situation, and notify another parent or caregiver immediately.
• Parents dealing with repeat violations, child custody and visitation should ask a third party, like a neighbor, to witness when the child is picked up, and request a court-ordered alcohol and drug assessment that will consider some of the provisions described in MADD’s recommendations above.
• Caregivers should teach children techniques for keeping themselves safe. If children are forced to ride with an impaired driver, they should sit quietly in the back seat with their seat belts buckled and their belongings on the floor, and tell a trusted grown-up immediately about any unsafe ride. Adults interested in empowering children with these tips and other safety messages, can request that MADD’s nationally-recognized Protecting You/Protecting Me program be incorporated into their elementary school curriculum.

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  MADD is the premiere organization working to stop drunk driving, support the victims of this violent crime and prevent underage drinking. MADD is a 501(c) 3 charity with 600 chapters and 2 million members nationwide. Nearly 270,000 lives have been saved since MADD's founding in 1980. For more information, please visit www.madd.org or call 1-800-GET-MADD.

For MADD 2010 Legislative Prioritiesgo to MADD Florida's Website: 

www.madd.org/fl

FYI--Latest CAMY Study Shows TV Alcohol Ads

Outnumber Responsibility Ads 226 To 1

The CAMY study reveals that from 2001 to 2002 alcohol industry responsibility ads placed on television dropped 46 percent (1,280) while the number of alcohol product ads increased 39 percent (289,381). Additionally, underage youth ages 12 to 20 were 400 times more likely to see an alcohol product ad than an ad discouraging underage drinking. Adults 21 and older were 280 times more likely to see an alcohol product ad than an alcohol company sponsored-ad about underage drinking. The CAMY report can be found at www.camy.org.

HELP MADD PASS LIFESAVING LEGISLATION. From time to time we will call upon concerned citizens to contact legislators to help MADD in the passage of important bills. If you want to be a part of this proactive initiative, please email the Miami-Dade County MADD office so that we can add your name to a list of supporters. maddmiami@bellsouth.net

VOLUNTEERS WANTED TO HELP MONITOR OUR COURTS-- Click here

OUR E-MAIL ADDRESS IS : maddmiami@bellsouth.net. Contact us!

For Other Florida MADD Chapters --Click here