2023 Candlelight Vigil
MADD Hawaii hosted its first in-person Candlelight Vigil in 4 years on Sunday, Dec. 3, in the Atherton Chapel at Central Union Church to remember the victims of impaired driving. The annual ceremony provides families with an opportunity to reflect upon and honor their loved ones, find a community of others impacted by this horrible crime, spread awareness to deter others from driving under the influence, and reconfirm law enforcement’s commitment to enforcing impaired driving laws aggressively.
Karlotta Carvalho, MADD Hawaii Advisory Board Victim Services Chair, opened and closed the program. The brave victim speakers included Chanda Park and Brittany Cass. The other speakers were Major Stason Tanaka, Theresa Paulette, and Reverend Rushan Sinnaduray. Victims and survivors were provided the opportunity to light a candle in remembrance of someone whom they have lost due to impaired driving, a crime that is 100% preventable.
Music, hula, and a post-event reception rounded out the event and provided everyone with time to reflect and connect.
Together we honor and remember all of the lives of those who have been injured or killed due to drunk or drugged driving crashes. In support of victims and survivors during the holiday season, MADD has created an online candlelight tribute for victims and survivors to create messages of love and support. This year the theme “ToGetThere Together” reminds us that our best memories, our best moments, are together with those we love and care about. We remember and honor those memories and also work towards a future where we have more of those moments with our loved ones when we can get there safely by ending impaired driving. Please light your own candle and share it with others through social media to spread the message: https://madd.org/light-a-candle/
