MADD Brings Together Nashville Area Residents for Annual Walk Like MADD to Eliminate Drunk Driving

NASHVILLE, Tenn., May 24, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Mothers Against Drunk Driving® (MADD) of Tennessee will host its signature Walk Like MADD® non-competitive 5K fundraising walk in Nashville on June 4th, 2011. The walk begins at 9:15am at Bicentennial Mall State Park and will raise funds and rally support for MADD's Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving®.

This year MADD Tennessee is thrilled to welcome Direct Auto Insurance as our Nashville Presenting Sponsor. One of the many exciting features that this partnership brings to Walk Like MADD is an exclusive guitar that is being given away. Direct Auto Insurance is donating a guitar to MADD Tennessee. But this is no ordinary guitar. This guitar has been autographed by over 30 contemporary recording artists that have performed live at the Direct Auto Garage at Clearchannel Studios over the past year, including  Ke$ha, Paramore and Adam Lambert. The guitar is being given away at Walk Like MADD on Saturday, June 4th. MADD supporters can enter to win the guitar by visiting www.maddtn.org.

"Direct Auto is thrilled to be part of the Walk Like MADD event and hopes this one-of-a-kind guitar giveaway helps to further raise awareness for MADD's mission to end drunk driving," says Paul DiFrancesco, Direct's Executive Vice President of Sales & Operations.

"We thank Direct Auto Insurance for their support and this wonderful guitar give-away which will help us reach more people with our life-saving mission.  Additionally, we encourage families, and groups of friends and co-workers, to lace up their sneakers and join us for this year's walk," said Laura Dial, State Executive Director. "With everyone's help, we can and will eliminate drunk driving — a 100 percent preventable crime."

In 2009, 303 people in Tennessee were killed in drunk driving crashes. Nationwide, nearly 11,000 lives were lost due to drunk driving and another 400,000 people were injured in alcohol-related crashes.  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 advanced technology to turn cars into the cure for drunk driving.

Sponsored nationally by State Farm Insurance, Walk Like MADD events are taking place in 36 cities across the country this year. Registration is $15 for those ages 5-21, and $20 for those who are 21 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 the Nashville area, you can register to walk as an individual or form a team.
2. If you are unable to attend the Nashville walk, you can sign up online as a virtual walker.
3. Or, you can give a one-time donation to Walk Like MADD.

Please visit www.walklikemadd.org to register, donate or get more information.

About Mothers Against Drunk Driving

Founded by a mother who lost her daughter in a crash, 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. In addition, Power of Parents, It's Your Influence® offers research-proven strategies to help parents keep their children safe from the dangers of underage drinking. One of the largest victim services organizations in the U.S., MADD also supports drunk driving victims and survivors — serving one person every 10 minutes — at no charge.  To learn more about MADD, visit www.madd.org or call 1-800-GET-MADD.  For victims/survivors, call 1-877-MADD-HELP.

About Direct General

The Direct General group of companies is an automobile insurance provider that helps consumers get and keep car insurance. Direct provides consumers with the flexibility to determine when and how they pay their premiums. The company also helps insure drivers with weak or nonexistent credit histories, who have experienced a lapse in coverage, or who have marginal or troubled driving records. Direct General has close to 400 offices in 14 states (AR, FL, GA, IL, LA, MS, MO, NC, SC, TN, TX and VA).  For more information, visit http://www.directgeneral.com/.

SOURCE Mothers Against Drunk Driving