The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
East Haven students raise money for MADD walk
On a breezy, sun-saturated Friday, the 165 students of East Haven’s Ferrara Elementary School circled the school track, chanting “M-A-D-D, M-AD-D.”
MADD is the acronym for Mothers Against Drunk Driving, which has as its mission “to end drunk driving, support the victims of these violent crimes, and prevent underage drinking,” according to its website.
The nonprofit offers services like support with preparing victim impact statements, accompanying victims and survivors to court, and referrals to appropriate resources, all at no charge, the website states.
The school is a sponsor of the annual Branford Walk like MADD, which will take place Saturday, Oct. 7 on the Branford Green.
It’s the sixth year that Ferrara has engaged in a Walk-AThon. This year, the students raised $2,098. In all, the school has contributed upwards of $13,000 to the cause, according to Michelle Chamberlain, a MADD victim advocate.
Chamberlain’s mother Lori is a third-grade teacher at Ferrara.
Michelle’s aunt, Deanne Negri, an art teacher and mother of three, was struck by a drunk driver traveling at 50 miles per hour in December 2013, Michelle said. She still struggles with symptoms related to traumatic brain injury. Their family has been involved ever since.
“My job is to go to court with families who have been impacted by impaired driving,” said Michelle, as she and Lori prepared
to hand out knapsacks with toys and educational materials. “This really helps.”
Statistics on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website highlight the urgency of the issue. Every day, about 37 people in the United States die in drunk-driving crashes — that’s one person every 39 minutes. Even with a 2014 all-offender ignition interlock law requiring an arrested or convicted drunk driver to blow into a car breathalyzer mouthpiece before driving, and a 2016 child endangerment law that adds penalties for driving drunk with a child passenger, drunk driving remains a leading cause of traffic fatalities. Funds from the event will go toward offering services to victims and their families at no charge, as well as providing education in schools and in the community, Lori Chamberlain said.
“With the money they’ve raised, these students are going to make our roads safer, and they’re going to educate young people like themselves about the dangers of driving impaired,” said U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro D-3, who walked alongside a group of students.
“Keep it sober,” fifth grader Destin Jean, just behind her, called out. “When you’re sober, you won’t get pulled over.”
“This is about making good choices,” said Ferrara Principal Paul DeBernardo. “You don’t need to be behind the wheel of a car to understand the dangers of drunk driving.”
Superintendent of Schools Erica Forti, taking up the rear beside him, agreed. “We believe our students are capable of making a difference,” she said. “Just to make these kids aware of this issue could save lives down the line.”
Lori Chamberlain credited the student council for bringing back the event, as well as student council advisors Angela Coughlin, a resource teacher, and third-grade teacher Lisa Brown for paving the way.
“Last year, we asked them what they wanted to support, and one of our fifth graders said she remembered the MADD walk before COVID happened, and wanted to bring it back, so here we are,” Coughlin said, as lively tunes from DJ Tory Teto, a Ferrara School alum and East Haven High School junior, rang across the track.
The 2023 Branford Walk Like MADD will take place at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 7 starting outside the Branford Town Hall on the Branford Green. Registration 8:30-9:30 a.m.
For more information or to register in advance, visit walklikemadd.org/branford or call 203-764-2566. For more information about or to donate to MADD CT, visit madd.org/connecticut.