National MADD President Colleen Sheehey-Church speaks to a crowd of nearly 150 individuals who came out for the second annual Maine Walk Like MADD event in Houlton Saturday. (Joseph Cyr)
HOULTON, Maine — “Overwhelming” was the word Houlton native Nicole Hutchinson used to describe the emotions she felt Saturday as nearly 150 individuals came out for the second annual Maine Walk Like MADD event.
“I continue to be amazed by the level of support provided by our community,” Hutchinson said. “Given there are so many causes worth our time and effort, I am humbled by the caring community members that choose to support MADD.”
Hutchinson, who now resides in Raleigh, S.C., has returned to her hometown the past two summers to honor the memory of her sister Darcie, and countless others whose lives have been impacted by drunk driving, by participating in the Maine Walk Like MADD event.
National MADD President Colleen Sheehey-Church attended Saturday’s walk for the second straight year and made the surprise announcement that Maine was going to be officially recognized as a MADD Chapter, with Hutchinson serving as its liaison.
“What this means is that we will be able to get people to respond a quicker [when a drunk driving incident takes place],” Hutchinson said. “We will actually be able to get training for people.”
Nicole Hutchinson speaks at Saturday’s Maine Walk Like MADD event in Houlton. (Joseph Cyr)
A second MADD walk in Maine will be held Aug. 19, 2018, in Portland, along with a 5K run. Houlton’s MADD walk will take place the following Saturday on Aug. 25, 2018.
Darcie Hutchinson was a graduate of Houlton High School’s Class of 1993. In 1996, at 21, she was killed in Connecticut by a habitual drunk driver who was a three-time offender. That individual was sentenced to 10 years in prison, with five years suspended.
Darcie was not the only person to be honored during Saturday’s walk. Jan Jensen, a resident of Portland, made the 250-mile trek to northern Maine to participate. She shared the story of losing her daughter Raina to a drunk driver. Ironically, the walk was held on what would have been her daughter’s 31st birthday.
Jansen’s 27-year-old daughter was killed Thanksgiving Day, 2010, by an impaired driver in Massachusetts.
This year’s event raised just over $13,000 for the second straight year. In comparison, the first unofficial walk held in Houlton back in 2010 raised $400. All of the funds raised from the walk will remain in the state. That money is used to educate youths and parents about the consequences of drinking and driving, plus provide volunteer training to support the MADD mission.
Nicole Hutchinson praised the work of Heather Campbell McCarthy, a classmate and close friend of Darcie’s, for keeping her sister’s memory alive. McCarthy organized the first unofficial walk for Darcie Hutchinson seven years ago.
According to the MADD website, on average, two in three people will be involved in a drunk driving crash in their lifetime; every 120 seconds, a person is injured in a drunk driving crash; and every day in America, another 28 people die as a result of drunk driving crashes.
MADD officials do more than simply educate youngsters on the dangers of drunk/drugged driving. The group also serves as a personal support system for families in drunk driving cases, assisting with medical and legal struggles and also working with state legislators to create tougher laws for offenders.
