November 2000

1. 6th Annual Red Ribbon Run
2. Vehicle Donations Program
3. Don't Be Left Out!
4. Red Ribbons Are Available
5. President's Letter
6. Double Your Gift To MADD
7. PosterESSAY Contest Coming Soon
8. A Special Way to Give to MADD
9. MADD Can Help You
10. Statement by Millie Webb, MADD National President
11. Seat Belts are Important
12. Take Our "Quick Quiz"
13. Bumper Stickers Available

The Red Ribbon Run is held in Alexandria at 4:00 pm on New Year's Eve. What better way for families to begin their end of the 20th Century celebrations. Because this event emphasizes healthy and fun physical activity, we hope that it encourages many people in our area to have a safe and sane holiday.

As always, we could not do any special events without the generous support of our corporate sponsors. This year's Red Ribbon Run sponsors are Nissan, Connection Newspapers, Acumen Heart Rate Monitors, Holiday Inn Eisenhower Metro Center, Gold's Gym, Fresh Samantha, Bagel Place, Pacers, Sportrock Climbing Centers, and Newton Asphalt.

The flyer that is enclosed is suitable for copying (as well as for your use to register for the race) and we hope that you will be willing to make copies and to put them up at your work or at your place of worship. If you have kids or grandchildren in school in the area, we ask that you send a copy to school for the bulletin board.

Also, we need volunteers to help with registration and to be course monitors. No experience is necessary. If you can spare a few hours on Sunday afternoon, December 31st, please call the office to volunteer.

Vehicle Donations Program
You have probably heard on the radio a number of ads by charities asking for tax-deductible automobile donations. MADD also has a vehicle donations program and we think that we have the best program in the area.

If you have an old car, truck, van, etc., that you might consider donating, call us at 703-779-7534 and we will answer all of your questions. Our program takes all of the hassle out of the process.

Donating a old car to MADD is simple and the donation helps us to carry on the many programs that are so essential right here in Northern Virginia.

Even if you do not have a car to donate, you can be a big help. Please let others know about the program by posting the enclosed flyer at your place of employment or worship.

Don't Be Left Out!
Did you know about the major effort that was required to get the Congress to pass National .08 legislation last month? If you were on the "MADD NoVA E-mail Info List", you would have been kept up to date.

Although not every message sent to our E-mail Info List is as time critical as were those about the .08 legislation, many of the messages discuss opportunities that would no longer be available if we tried to notify our members by mail. So, if you have an e-mail account, you should get on the list. Of course, you can get off the list if you find that it is not of interest simply by notifying us.

To get on the list, simply put your e-mail address on the return envelope that is enclosed in this newsletter and return it to us or e-mail us at office@maddnova.org and tell us that you want to be on the E-mail Info List.

Red Ribbons Are Available
Red Ribbons are available for individuals or groups who will put them on their cars this holiday season.

By tying a MADD Red Ribbon on a visible part of your car, you help to remind yourself and others to have a safe holiday. The ribbon is a constant reminder that we must all be ever vigilant for the alcohol-impaired driver.

There are several ways to get your ribbons this year. You can get yours by calling the office at 703-352-3944, or by asking for one when you send in your dues or donation, or by joining us at the Red Ribbon Run.

Also, if your place of employment is willing to hand out ribbons at your holiday party or to put ribbons in employee pay envelopes, please let us know and we will get them a supply.

President's Letter
In our last newsletter, we talked about the need for court monitors. In describing the problem, what we were talking about may have been confusing to some. We did not mean to imply that judges are still engaging in a practice of not charging three-time repeat offenders as felons. What we are concerned about is a long held practice where judges reduce DUI charges to reckless driving. We obviously disagree with these practices and lobbied hard for the law that became effective in July which should stop the practice of multiple "first" DUIs. We want to closely monitor the practice of reducing DUIs to reckless driving, especially with this new law, and that is why we need active court monitors. In addition, we are conducting an exhaustive analysis of how drunk driving cases are disposed of in Virginia. Hopefully we will be able to get our hands around this issue once and for all. I hope this clears up any confusion that surfaced after our last newsletter.

We have also had many calls wanting MADD's reaction to the recent admission by George W. Bush that he had a previous conviction for drunk driving in 1976. In the days that followed, we received more than 50 phone calls from supporters and, honestly, some non-supporters. MADD cannot take any position in electoral politics as that would jeopardize our non-profit, 501(c)(3) status. We cannot endorse ANY political candidates and needed to make that a primary consideration in responding to this news story. The official statement by our National President Millie Webb is printed in this newsletter.

On to the good news. Last month, MADD achieved a major victory in Congress. We were able to pass a measure that requires all states to adopt the blood alcohol standard that Virginia already has of .08. This has been a three year struggle where we have been the target of a self serving alcohol industry that preferred to attack MADD rather than actually help save lives. It wasn't until one of our own members of Congress, Rep. Frank Wolf, stepped to the plate and we were able to beat back the industry and pass the .08 bill. It is fair to say that without his unwavering support, we would have lost this battle. It is with great pride that we say thank you to one of our own, Congressman Frank Wolf.

Unfortunately, we are entering the deadliest time of the year for drunk driving fatalities. While many of us will be celebrating the holiday season with family, some of us will be mourning the loss of loved ones. It is especially tragic when these losses occur around the holiday season. I will be thinking of those families this year and will say a prayer for them. They will be the inspiration of the chapter as we redouble our efforts to make this holiday season a safe one. Again this year, we will distribute red ribbons through various outlets. We will partner with law enforcement agencies to crack down on drunk drivers. We will be working with the schools and other community groups to talk with the youth of Northern Virginia to get the message out to them. We will also have an aggressive media strategy to deliver our message. Most importantly, we will continue to work with our victims in this difficult time of the year.

We are all in this together. Drunk driving is not a problem that is going away anytime soon. Our volunteers will continue to fight this crime everyday but please don't think our door is closed to new volunteers. Please come and join us this year as we look forward to tomorrow . There is a lot of work to be done and we welcome your help. Call the office at 703-352-3944 to see how you can get involved. You don't have to be a victim, you don't even have to be a mother in order to help fight this fight.

David Kelly

Double Your Gift To MADD
Many companies in this area have matching gifts programs. In these programs, the company will match, sometimes even more than match, any donation that you make to a charity like MADD. These matching gifts are an excellent way to make the most of your philanthropic dollar. To find out if your company has a matching gifts program, just contact your administrative or personnel office to get the form and send it with your check to us at: MADD; P.O. Box 1066; Fairfax, VA 22030. We will then take care of the paperwork and your gift will go even farther to provide services right here in Northern Virginia.

PosterESSAY Contest Coming Soon
The flyers announcing the 2001 PosterESSAY Contest will be mailed to area schools in about a month. This year's topic will be "Life's Better Sober!." In the past, the prizes have included savings bonds, Odyssey dinner cruises on the Potomac for winners and their families, and movie tickets. If your school has not announced the contest by the middle of January, call the MADD office at 703-352-3944 and we will send you a flyer to take to the principal. Last year, many students did not have the opportunity to enter the contest because their schools did not get the word out in time. Don't let this happen at your school.

If you did not see the winning posters from the 2000 contest at Burke and Herbert Bank, you still have a chance. They are on display through mid-December at the Peter Stathis Insurance Agency; 117 East Annandale Road; Falls Church. Its definitely worth the trip.

A Special Way to Give to MADD
One of the best and easiest ways to make a gift to MADD is to donate appreciated securities. Although the stock market is not sailing along like it has for the past several years, many MADD supporters have achieved considerable long-term gains with their stocks and mutual funds. These gains provide a great opportunity to help MADD and get a special tax break. Under ordinary circumstances, these gains would be taxed when the stock or mutual fund is sold. However, a special section of the Internal Revenue Code allows a donor to give the stock or mutual fund to MADD and not only deduct its full fair market value but also to completely avoid paying tax on the gain. If you would like to take advantage of this special opportunity to both avoid capital gains taxes and get a charitable deduction, just call the chapter's executive director, Mike Green, at 703-352-3944. Mike will make certain that the transaction flows smoothly and that you have the necessary documentation for filing your taxes.

MADD Can Help You
Some say that time heals all wounds....MADD is here in the meantime. Do you or does someone you know need help from MADD? If so, help is just a telephone call away. When you call, we will address your concerns the best we can and then, if you desire, we will refer you to a MADD Northern Virginia victim advocate. Many of our trained advocates have been crash victims themselves.

In addition to immediate telephone help, MADD has a wide selection of publications for crash victims. While MADD does not provide financial assistance, your victim advocate can help you apply for Crime Victims compensation funds and MADD and the National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE) have prepared a series of brochures, Picking Up the Financial Pieces. We are proud to be able to provide these services free of charge.

Your victim advocate can inform you about criminal justice procedures in Northern Virginia and, in many cases, is able to go to court with you. Your victim advocate will be able to provide a list of professional counselors and civil attorneys in the community who are skilled at working with crash victims. We also offer a victim support group where you can meet other families who share your experience.

The MADD Northern Virginia Victim Support Group meets monthly. This group, led by a Licensed Professional Counselor, has proven to be very valuable to many families who have been victimized by drunk drivers. The group is quite informal and is provided at no cost to the group members. For more information, just call the chapter office or the group's facilitator, Sherry Platt, at 703-978-3025.

Until we are able to stop drunk driving, we know that we must do all that we can for the victims of this violent crime. The Northern Virginia Chapter of MADD is the place to go to get the help that drunk driving victims need. We are here to help. Call us at 703-352-3944 if we can help you.

Statement by Millie Webb, MADD National President
Drunk driving is the nation's most frequently committed violent crime. Three out of every ten Americans will be affected by impaired driving at some time in their lives. As a victim, it is always disheartening to hear that anyone, whether average American or national celebrity, has been involved with drunk driving. As Governor Bush's conviction happened nearly 25 years ago, we hope that the experience had an impact on his life and helped him to realize the devastation that can result from getting behind the wheel after drinking alcohol. We recognize that people can change. We appreciate Governor Bush's support of anti-drunk driving legislation in Texas and are likewise grateful for Vice President Gore's backing for such lifesaving legislation. Each year nearly 16,000 people are killed and 600,000 others are injured due to alcohol-related crashes. The new President will have the responsibility to protect the citizens on our nation's roadways and should be a leader in the fight against drunk driving and in efforts to reach our national goal to reduce alcohol-related traffic deaths to 11,000 by the end of his term in 2005.

Executive Director's Letter
In my first "Executive Director's Letter" in 1998, I wrote about a very interesting thing that I did not know about MADD before I began working here. This was a question that I had and I know that others are interested because I have been asked this question a number of times. Because many people are interested in the answer, I will discuss it again here.

Who is a "Member" of MADD? I had thought that by sending a check to MADD, I had become a full-fledged, voting member, supporting programs in Northern Virginia. But I was incorrect. To be a voting Chapter Member of MADD, you must be a member of a local chapter. An individual who has expressed support for MADD through financial contributions but who may not wish to support local MADD programs is a non-voting Associate Member. If this is your first chapter newsletter, you are probably an Associate Member.

How can an Associate Member change from non-voting status and become a chapter member in MADD? The Northern Virginia Chapter makes it very easy to do this and allows you to participate at whatever activity level you desire. We have numerous opportunities for volunteers, including being a court monitor, victim advocate, speaker, office assistant, grant writer, or on-call volunteer. You can also participate by showing your support for MADD by such simple things as encouraging your family and friends to use designated drivers or getting a red ribbon from us and tying it onto your car.

You can ensure that you are a Chapter Member by sending your renewal dues to us in the enclosed membership envelope. If you are not sure whether you are a Chapter Member or an Associate Member, just call the office at (703) 352-3944 and we will check for you. If you call, be sure to let us know if you want to be on our volunteer list. We are very anxious to have you become as active as you would like and we have options to fit whatever your time availability allows.

To make certain that anyone who wants to be a Chapter Member has the opportunity, we have included a membership renewal form in this newsletter. We send out renewal notices quarterly but many members have not sent them back yet so the form is here in case your first form was misplaced. Remember, when you send your form to the chapter office, your membership dues and donations are used exclusively for MADD programs here in Northern Virginia.

Mike Green

Seat Belts are Important
A recent study reported in the May 2000 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association shows that nearly two out of three children who are killed in alcohol-related crashes are passengers riding with an impaired driver. In the majority of these cases, the children were riding with a drinking adult -- a parent, guardian, or temporary caregiver -- who did not have the presence of mind to buckle them up. Please teach your kids and their friends to ALWAYS buckle up when in a vehicle.

Take Our "Quick Quiz"
1. How many people were killed in the U.S. in alcohol-related crashes in 1999?

A. Just under 1,000
B. Just under 16,000
C. Just under 42,000

A. $100 million
B. $1 billion
C. $45 billion

A. 0.08
B. 0.10
C. 0.20

A. 3 times
B. 30 times
C. 300 times

A. Just under 1800
B. Just under 400
C. Just under 100

A. Increasing
B. Staying the same
C. Going down

A. Alcohol
B. Marijuana
C. Cocaine

A. About 15%
B. About 25%
C. About 35%

A. Less than 40%
B. About 50%
C. More than 60%

A. 10%
B. 33%
C. 50%