MADD Victim Vigil 2016

Last Thursday, December 8, marked the 35th annual Mothers Against Drunk Driving, or MADD, Victim Vigil. Held in the auditorium at Bishop Hendricken High School, the night was consisted of honoring victims of impaired driving and hearing stories from survivors. MADD is a program dedicated to honoring lives lost to drunk and/or drugged driving and protecting the lives of those on the roads now and in the future. The program works with many schools in Rhode Island in order to educate young drivers about the dangers impaired driving poses.

On the night of the vigil, students from various high schools around the state heard from survivors about the impacts devastating car accidents have had on them and how they have learned to continue living and create hope for other victims. The night included musical performances and a video reflecting on the lives lost to impaired driving and ended with every attendee lighting a candle in memory of said victims. Some of the most touching moments of the night came from both seeing and hearing from the people affected by the a drunk driver. One story that moved many students was told by a man whose brother was killed by a drunk driver in 2010. These kinds of personal stories seem to affect students the most because they begin to consider how the victim could have been their brother or their sister, or even they themselves.

Many students who attended expressed how the event was very solemn yet moving; it shows students the lasting impact such important decisions forever have on their lives. Some of these students are a part of La Salle’s SADD club, Students Against Destructive Decisions, which has partnered up with MADD throughout the year with various school wide events such as Red Ribbon Week, Bowling for MADD, and Mocktail, along with several others than can be found during the year. MADD and SADD work together to promote the message that one is never too young to make the right decisions and that it is not worth putting his or her own life and other people’s lives in danger just to fit in with a crowd.