MADD National President Glynn Birch visited Tucson June 16-18 for a number of events, including MADD Pima County ’s annual Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon.

Glynn Birch joined more than 30 officers on June 16 as the Southern Arizona DUI Task Force set up a checkpoint on the Catalina Highway in Tucson .

On June 17, Birch was the keynote speaker at the luncheon, attended by more than 100 volunteers, staff and VIPs.

“It was a great honor to have Glynn join us for the weekend,” said MADD Arizona State Executive Director Chuck Heeman. “Glynn has been there for us whenever we’ve asked, and to have him come speak to our volunteers was very motivating for all of us.”

Birch emphasized the continued need for volunteers and congratulated the group on the ongoing efforts to which they contribute.

The weekend marked Birch’s third visit to Phoenix in two months. He also attended the April 22 “Strides for Change” walk and the April 28 “Making a Difference” law enforcement appreciation dinner.  

"Making A Difference" in Arizona

More than 30 awards were presented at the second annual

"Making A Difference Together" dinner on April 28

MADD Arizona and the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety held the second annual “Making A Difference Together” dinner at the Marriott Buttes Resort on April 28. More than 300 law enforcement personnel, legislators, victims and friends of MADD Arizona attended the banquet. Awards were presented by a number of guest hosts, including Sheriff Joe Arpaio, State Senator Jim Waring, State Representative Ted Downing, MADD Arizona State Chair Dan Levey and Department of Corrections Director Dora Schriro.

Emcee for the evening was Fox 10’s Natalia Perez, and the keynote speaker was MADD National President Glynn Birch. Glynn spoke about his own experience with loss and how the law enforcement community can help eliminate drunk driving.

“When I first came to MADD last summer, Richard Fimbres of GOHS sat me down and told me that we HAD to have this dinner again,” said Chuck Heeman, MADD Arizona State Executive Director. “GOHS was so impressed with the job we had done in 2005 that they felt we should make it an annual event. Now I see why Richard felt that way – this was a great event that will only get better as we grow it in future years.”

The evening capped with a special presentation to Arizona Department of Public Safety Sergeant Ed Slechta, who received the “Lifetime Achievement Award.” In addition, Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano decreed April 28, 2006 to be “Sergeant Edward Slechta Day” in Arizona .

Many thanks to the staff and volunteers of MADD Arizona, GOHS, UMADD and the 100 Club who helped make this event happen. Our sponsors included the Arizona Trucking Association, Scott McKay, DeFusco and Udelman, L.L.C., Goldberg & Osborne, Southwest Ambulance, Motorola, Events by First Rose and SWANK Audio Visuals. Thanks to them as well for making the night a success.

We are committed to making this dinner an annual event, so look for “Making A Difference Together” to return in 2007.

Photo courtesy of the Russian Arizona News

More than 500 MADD supporters joined together April 22

 to make the first Strides for Change Walk a success

  As the sun rose over the Papagos on April 22, the peacocks began to wail, the animals were waking to receive their morning feeding and supporters of MADD began arriving at the Phoenix Zoo donning custom t-shirts and jogging shoes.  They came from across the state with one shared vision; that something needs to be done to make our community safer.

   Hundreds of people turned out for the first annual Strides for Change 5K walk at the Phoenix Zoo.  Kicking off the walk was Glynn Birch, MADD’s National President, who addressed the crowd and led the way.  At the finish line, participants were treated to music, health and safety fair and kid’s arts and crafts area.  Final figures for the event are not yet available but well over 500 people attended and those walkers helped raise over $61,000.

“Ericka Espino, the MADD Arizona staff and volunteers did a tremendous job of making the day a success,” said Chuck Heeman, MADD Arizona State Executive Director. “The support we got from our walkers was beyond our hopes, and that’s what put our first Strides event over the top. With the money raised through Strides, we’ll be able to expand our youth education and victim services to people we haven’t been able to reach before.”

The event would also not have been possible with out help from sponsors including Nissan, Goldberg and Osborne, Guardian Interlock and without help from the Phoenix Zoo. 

Created to raise funds for MADD’s mission to stop drunk driving, support the victims of this violent crime and prevent underage drinking, the walk invited anyone who wanted to join MADD’s efforts and keep their communities and their families safe.  

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Mohave County Community Action Site

Holds First Victim Impact Panel

KINGMAN, AZ - The expansion of MADD's services in Arizona continued on April 4 as the Mohave County CAS staged its first Victim Impact Panel. (see below for coverage by Kingman's  Daily Miner  newspaper). CAS leaders Diane Ruiz and Sonia Latimer first developed the plan to begin VIPs last fall. With the cooperation of Mohave County's Justice and Circuit courts, DUI offenders will now have the opportunity to learn about the impact of the decision to drive drunk.

"Diane and Sonia have been trying to start this program for a while now," said State Executive Director Chuck Heeman. "We have had some great meetings with the court and sheriff's office personnel, and they've been a great help. We're glad the people of Mohave County are seeing the problem and are being proactive in addressing it."

Below is coverage by the Daily Miner - many thanks to Jeff Pope:

MADD shows emotional side of drunk driving

By Jeff Pope

Miner Staff Writer

KINGMAN – A video played while they filed into the room. It showed family photos of people who were injured or died in alcohol-related car crashes. After everyone found a seat, another video played detailing two stories about driving drunk – one from the perspective of a drunk driver and the other from the family and friends of a woman who was killed by a drunk teenager driver. 

Some members of the audience mirrored those on the screen by shedding tears while others sat stoically showing little or no emotion at all. Though they varied in age and backgrounds, the one common trait the participants shared was a conviction for driving under the influence. 

Approximately 30 to 40 people attended the first Victim Impact Panel held by MADD in Mohave County on Tuesday. The session is designed to be an educational approach to curbing repeated drunk driving offenses.

“We’re trying to reach them emotionally,” said Diane Ruiz, Director of the Mohave County MADD Chapter. “It’s the truth. It comes from the heart.”

The Victim Impact Panel is a court-ordered program monitored by the Probation Department. Participants have up to six months following their conviction to attend one meeting. Failure to do so would be considered a probation violation. Each person paid $20 and passed a Breathalyzer test to receive credit for attending the meeting held at the Sheriff’s Office.

The local MADD chapter in cooperation with the organization’s state office plans to hold the meetings every other month. 

MADD Youth Programs Specialist Jason Blackstock traveled from Phoenix to lead the inaugural presentation.

“One thing we stress is, this is not a punishment,” he said. “We hope this serves as an educational purpose. Because with 16,694 fatalities a year, is there any way we could address 40 of you at a time and ever expect to make a dent in those numbers?”

Blackstock grew up in Kingman and shared personal stories about his friend’s father being killed by a drunk driver in 2003. Less than a year later, another friend of his, Chad Gorder, died at the hands of a drunk driver in the Valley. Gorder grew up in Kingman too.

The most emotional moment of the night came from a local woman only identified as Debra. Fighting through tears, she became choked up several times while telling the story of how she lost her best friend, Diane, and Diane’s husband and 16-year-old child to a drunken driving crash.

Debra said the loss caused her such grief that she became angry with everyone around her and nearly drove away her husband and children.

“I did not know how to handle it. I’ve never lost somebody in that way before,” she said. “Seven years later, I still miss them as much today as the day they died.”

Debra needed a friend’s support as she told the story to the audience of how her husband killed a man while he was drunk five years after Diane’s death. Debra said he’s serving time in a California prison for DUI-vehicular homicide. The hard part, she said, was calling family and friends about the accident he caused.

“How do you tell a mom that her son killed somebody? How do you go home and tell your kids that their dad killed somebody because he made a really bad choice,” she asked.

Following the presentation, participants completed surveys and received certificates showing they completed the course. Ruiz said the participants have no further obligations as far as the Victim Impact Panel is concerned, though they might still have other requirements from their probation officers.

Blackstock said he would like them to perform one additional service.

“Tonight was supposed to educate you,” he said. “After you finish this panel, we hope you take this to the community.”

Future plans in Mohave County include starting a Youth Impact Panel, and taking the Victim Impact Panel program into the Bullhead City prison.

Congratulations to the volunteers of MADD Mohave County for taking the initiative to start this imporant program!