Donate your Facebook Cover Photo
By MADD | April 11, 2012 | Filed in: General , Power of Parents , Underage Drinking

Only 10 more days until PowerTalk 21, the national day for parents to talk with their kids about alcohol.  MADD wants to equip all parents and caregivers with the tools to help them start this potentially lifesaving conversation.

Will you help us spread the word by donating your Facebook cover photo? All you have to do is:

1. Enable Facebook timeline (if you don’t already have it).
2. Download the PowerTalk 21 cover photo below by right-clicking and saving it.
3. Change the cover photo on your Facebook page. (Read Facebook’s instructions for more information.)

It’s that easy! Thanks for helping us prevent underage drinking and save lives by promoting PowerTalk 21.

Why We're Here: Natalie Evaro
By MADD | April 11, 2012 | Filed in: Drunk Driving , Power of Parents , Underage Drinking , Victim Services , Victim Stories

On October 18, 2008, the world got a little dimmer when Natalie Evaro died in a drunk driving crash.  Natalie’s family called her Miss Sunshine, because she was always so bright and cheerful, and lit up the room.  Natalie, an honor student, was preparing to start her sophomore year at Middle Tennessee State University and had dreams of studying abroad. 

Natalie was working at a restaurant and bar with a very “loose” policy on alcohol use.   Despite the fact that Natalie was only 20, her employers saw no issues with allowing Natalie, and the other restaurant staff, to drink alcohol during and after their shifts; they even provided the drinks.  Early in the morning on October 18th, after grabbing a couple of drinks with coworkers after her shift,  Natalie got in her car to drive home to her apartment.  Unfortunately,  she never made it. At 3:30 a.m., only three blocks away from the restaurant, Natalie crashed into a metal utility pole while exiting the highway and was ejected from her car.  She was taken off life support two days later.

Natalie’s parents, Gene and Melissa, were always very open and had many conversations with Natalie and her siblings about the dangers of drugs and alcohol; they never suspected that she had started drinking.  It wasn’t until after the crash that they found out that she had frequently been drinking at work, and then driving home.  It was a shocking realization to her parent because she was a smart girl who knew better than to drink and drive. But they also know that young people are easily influenced by their peers, and that alcohol causes loss of judgment.

The night of Natalie’s crash, she was the only person to drive herself home from the restaurant; all the other employees took cabs, leaving Natalie’s parents to ask, “Why did no one try to stop her?”

There are a lot of factors that contributed to Natalie’s death, including the restaurant that served a minor, her coworkers, manager and owners that did not stop her from driving, and of course, the fatal decision made by Natalie to drink underage and then attempt to drive.

Natalie’s parents now know that just because your child has left the nest, doesn’t mean your job is done, and they want to share Natalie’s story in hopes of making a difference— in hopes of saving even one life. 

When asked what advice they have for other parents, they said, “Communication.  Don’t think for a moment that when the kids go off to college that our jobs as parents are any less important or hands on.  If anything, this is when you have to really watch what they are doing.  The main thing is to always talk to them. Check out where they are working, who they are involved with and see for yourself that is a good, safe environment for them to be in.  Believe me, it’s worth it.”

It’s because of families like the Evaro’s that MADD created the Power of Parent™ program, to give parents the tools they need to have these lifesaving conversations with their kids.  Even if your kid is a “good kid,” or a “smart kid,” they can still make bad decisions.  Bad decisions like drinking underage, riding in a car with someone who has been drinking, or drinking and driving, that could threaten their lives.

Parents have the power to help kids make healthy decisions that can keep them safe. In fact, research shows that parents are the primary influence on their kids’ decisions about whether or not to drink alcohol.  That’s why MADD created Powertalk21®, the national day, on April 21st, to start talking about teens and alcohol.  Each year, we focus on reaching as many parents as possible, with the vision that April 21st will become widely known as the day to talk about kids and alcohol.  In preparation for PowerTalk21, parents can get tips and conversation starters, download the parent handbook and find a free 30-minute parent workshop at www.madd.org/powertalk21.

MADD Teams Up with Groupon
By MADD | April 9, 2012 | Filed in: Power of Parents

We’ve teamed up with Groupon G-Team, the philanthropic arm of Groupon!

From April 9th through April 15th, you can donate $10 here and it will provide training for a parent in the Power of Parents program.  Even better, it will be matched by Nationwide Insurance, the presenting sponsor of Power of Parents so your money will go twice as far!  Donations made will fund Power of Parents workshops, where we provide parents with the tools and techniques needed to have the potentially lifesaving conversations with their kids about alcohol.

In 2010, 10 million young people aged 12–20 reported drinking alcohol during the previous month, and 33% of all teen drivers killed in crashes had alcohol in their system.  Through our Power of Parents program and these parent workshops, we can educate parents on how they can help prevent underage drinking.

Please help us spread the word about this amazing opportunity with Groupon and Nationwide Insurance to support Power of Parents, and help keep our friends, neighbors and communities safe.

MADD Featured on Lifetime’s The Balancing Act
By MADD | April 4, 2012 | Filed in: Power of Parents , Underage Drinking

This month, MADD will be sharing information about our Power of Parents™ program on Lifetime’s The Balancing Act. MADD National President Jan Withers joined host Danielle Knox and Ken Griffith, President of the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) to give parents tips on talking to their kids about alcohol for the show’s “Parent Teacher Corner.”

You can tune in on April 17th on Lifetime Television at 7:00 a.m. (ET/PT) to catch Jan and find out what you can do at home to stop underage drinking. Get ready for PowerTalk 21® day on April 21st—the national day for parents and kids to talk about alcohol—by watching this special segment and start crafting your game plan for having that lifesaving conversation with your kids.

**UPDATE 4/17:  Watch the segment now** 

Powerful Program, Powerful People
By Jan Withers | March 15, 2012 | Filed in: Power of Parents

MADD Florida Executive Director, David Pinsker, arranged for MADD to appear on Lifetime TV's morning show, The Balancing Act.  MADD’s Power of Parents® program was center stage.  The show will air in April (we will keep you posted with more information). 

Dave has only been Executive Director for a few months, but has already proven to be a powerful advocate, jumping in “on all four” with all his energy and skills to support MADD’s mission.  We are so pleased he is with us. 

The other powerful people with whom Dorene Ocamb, the National Marketing Director, and I met are the MADD Broward County staff members.  These women exude a passionate concern for supporting victims and a passionate dedication to saving lives.

April 21st is PowerTalk21® day—the national day for parents to talk with their teens about the dangers of underage drinking.  However, we don’t want that to be the only time to have the discussion.  The power comes from positive, frequent discussions with our children, sharing expectations and consequences, because we love them and want them to always be safe. 

Three out of four teens say that their parents are the number one influence about alcohol use.  We not only have the responsibility to have these discussions with our children, we have the power to influence their decisions.