'Walk Like MADD' Event Will Take Place in Blue Back Square

Release submitted by Alisa Gaudiosi, Alliances By Alisa Media Relations

It’s a staggering statistic: In 2011, 92 people were killed in Connecticut by drunk driving accidents. Nationally, 9,878 people were killed in crashes where the driver had a blood alcohol concentration of .08 or higher. 

On May 10, 2008 one of those victims was 23-year-old Derick James Springer of Fairfield. His life ended at the hands of a drunk driver.  

Every year since his death, Derick’s friends and family have remembered him by walking in the Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) “Walk Like MADD.” This year’s fifth annual walk in Blue Back Square is dedicated to him.

The walk will be held on Saturday, May 4th in West Hartford’s Blue Back Square beginning in the Town Hall parking lot. The walk is an opportunity for families and friends of victims of alcohol-related crashes and concerned citizens to come together to raise awareness about this societal epidemic. 

“Walk Like MADD” is a 3-mile walk through West Hartford. Every step taken and every dollar raised supports MADD’s initiatives in Connecticut, including the Campaign to Eliminate Drink Driving which calls for Ignition Interlock Devices (IID) for every convicted drunk driver; sobriety checkpoints, and/or saturation patrols and community education and awareness.

MADD provides services to victims of alcohol-related crashes at no cost throughout the state.  

The West Hartford “Walk Like MADD” will feature the Power Of Parents and a kid’s area with face painting, music, dancing, food, and more food!

Registering as a walker or making a pledge is quick and easy. Just go to MADD’s website www.walklikemadd.org and choose West Hartford, CT. Day of registration takes place at 8:30 a.m. with the walk officially beginning at 10 a.m. at 50 South Main Street in West Hartford.

Incorporated on September 5, 1980, the underlying mission of MADD is to aid the victims of crimes performed by individuals driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, to aid the families of such victims and to increase public awareness of the problem of drinking and drugged driving.  

Blue Back Square is New England’s newest shopping, entertainment and living destination located in the heart of West Hartford, CT.  It is a 600,000-square-foot, mixed-use development that serves as an extension of West Hartford Center, a popular pedestrian-friendly shopping and dining district that presently consists of nearly 200 upscale national, regional and local boutiques, restaurants, theater and a food market. 

 Visit www.bluebacksquare.com for more information.