April is Alcohol Awareness Month, and to increase awareness about the dangers of alcohol, students participated in an assembly hosted by Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), an organization dedicated to preventing deaths from drunk driving and underage drinking. In 1980, a mother was struck by tragedy after her own son was killed by a drunk driver. She dreamt of a movement that would end drunk driving forever, channeling her loss into founding MADD. Less than 40 years later, MADD is now responsible for a 50 percent reduction of drunk driving and in the process has saved over 370,000 lives.

On Tuesday, April 10, students and faculty listened closely as Pine Crest alum Heather Geronemus shared her story: eight years ago, a drunk driver ran a red light and struck and killed her father.  She recounted the tragic event and the effect it had on her life, in addition to how MADD helped her through the grieving process by giving her the opportunity to share her story and help others.

Recalling the opening moments of the assembly, sophomore Jordan Vital said, “Listening to Heather, a Pine Crest alum, share her devastating story made the sad reality of drunk driving seem so real and close to home.”

Following Heather’s speech, a representative from MADD shared statistics about the dangers of driving while under the influence and gave advice on how to end this preventable epidemic. The assembly concluded with an interactive activity where police officers and student volunteers demonstrated what happens once offenders have been pulled over for drunk driving.

Alcohol Awareness Month is not only a time to pay tribute to lives lost, but also a time to remind people of everything they can do in order to make the world a safer place. Because of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, students are now armed with the knowledge to make better decisions and do just that.

Source: NCADD, MADD