MADD Brings Together Los Angeles and Ventura Area Residents for Annual Walk Like MADD to Eliminate Drunk Driving

Families, Friends and Co-Workers Walk to Save Lives and Serve People on Saturday, October 13, 2012

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 28, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Los Angeles/Ventura Affiliate of Mothers Against Drunk Driving® (MADD) will host its signature Walk Like MADD® non-competitive 5K fundraising walk in Long Beach on Saturday, October 13, 2012. The walk begins at Alamitos Bay Marina at 8:30 a.m. and will raise funds and rally support for MADD's Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving®.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110412/MADDLOGO)

Funds raised through Walk Like MADD help further MADD's life-saving mission and the Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving, which calls for high-visibility law enforcement, ignition interlocks or "in-car breathalyzers" for all convicted drunk drivers, and support for the development of technology to automatically determine if a driver is drunk.

"We encourage families, and groups of friends and co-workers, to lace up their sneakers and join us for this year's walk," said Tamara Raices, Development Officer, Los Angeles/Ventura Affiliate of MADD. "With everyone's help, we can and will eliminate drunk driving — a 100 percent preventable crime."

The timing for Walk Like MADD is significant because just last month two construction crew workers were killed when two alleged drunk drivers collided on the northbound 405 Freeway at 3:30 a.m. on July 22, 2012, in the city of Torrance.

In 2010, 791 people died in California in drunk driving crashes, where the driver had a blood alcohol level at or above the legal limit of .08, according to the California Office of Traffic Safety. The highest percentage of drunk driving crashes involved motorists 21 to 24 years of age. In addition, the California Office of Traffic Safety has reported that during the 2011 summer mobilization, including Labor Day weekend, 2,795 drivers were arrested for driving under the influence in Los Angeles County.

Walk Like MADD events are taking place in 38 cities across the country this year. Registration is $15 for those ages 5-21, and $20 for those who are 22 and over. Corporations and other groups are encouraged to form teams of 10 or more and are asked to raise $100 each through donations.

There are three ways to participate in Walk Like MADD:

1) If you live in or around Los Angeles or Ventura County, you can register to walk as an individual or form a team.

2) If you are unable to attend the Los Angeles/Ventura walk, you can sign up online to raise money as a virtual walker.

3) Or, you can give a one-time donation to Walk Like MADD.

Please visit www.walklikemadd.org, select "Find a Walk," then select "Los Angeles" to register, donate or get more information.

About Mothers Against Drunk Driving
Founded by a mother whose daughter was killed by a drunk driver, Mothers Against Drunk Driving® (MADD) is the nation's largest nonprofit working to protect families from drunk driving and underage drinking. With the help of those who want a safer future, MADD's Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving® will end this danger on America's roads. PowerTalk 21® is the national day for parents to talk with their kids about alcohol, using the proven strategies of Power of Parents™ to reduce the risk of underage drinking. And as one of the largest victim services organizations in the U.S., MADD also supports drunk and drugged driving victims and survivors at no charge, serving one person every eight minutes through local MADD victim advocates and at 1-877-MADD-HELP.  Learn more at www.madd.org or by calling 1-877-ASK-MADD.

SOURCE Mothers Against Drunk Driving