East Haven’s Ferrara School students walk to support MADD

On a cool, overcast Friday, the 160 students of East Haven’s Ferrara Elementary School circled the school track, chanting “M-A-D-D, M-A-D-D.”

The chant was in reference to Mothers Against Drunk Driving which has as its mission “to end drunk driving, support the victims of these violent crimes, and prevent underage drinking,” according to its website.

The nonprofit offers services that include preparing victim impact statements, accompanying victims and survivors to court, and referrals to appropriate resources at no charge, the website states.

“We’re there for the families from the day the crash happens for as long as they need us,” said Michelle Chamberlain, a MADD victim advocate.

It’s the ninth year that Ferrara has engaged in a Walk-A-Thon. This year, the students raised $1,444 in the space of one week. In all, the school has contributed close to $15,000 to the cause, according to Chamberlain.

“These kids show up every single year, willing to walk for those who no longer have a voice,” she said, adding that the paternal grandfather of a Ferrara student had been killed by a drunk driver. That student raised the most money in the school.

Chamberlain’s mother Lori is a fourth-grade teacher at Ferrara. Michelle’s aunt, Deanne Negri, an art teacher and mother of three, was struck by a drunk driver traveling at 50 miles per hour in December 2013. She still struggles with symptoms related to traumatic brain injury. Earlier that year, Michelle lost her best friend, Michelle Noble, to a drunk driver. That’s when their family got involved.

“My job is to go to court with families that have been impacted by impaired driving,” said Michelle, as she and her mother prepared to hand out bags with toys and educational materials. “The support from Ferrara really helps.”

Statistics on the National Traffic Safety Administration website bring home the urgency of the issue. Every day, about 37 people in the United States die in drunk-driving crashes—that’s one person every 39 minutes. And drunk driving deaths are up 22% since 2019, with an estimated 360,441 people injured in 2023.

Even with a 2014 all-offender ignition interlock law requiring an arrested or convicted drunk driver to blow into a car breathalyzer mouthpiece before driving, and a 2016 child endangerment law that adds penalties for driving drunk with a child passenger, drunk driving remains a leading cause of traffic fatalities.

“This is about making good choices,” said Ferrara Principal Paul DeBernardo during the spirited assembly that preceded the walk. “You don’t need to be behind the wheel of a car to understand the dangers of drunk driving.”

Funds from the event will go toward offering services to victims and their families at no charge, as well as providing education in schools and in the community, Lori Chamberlain said.

She credited the student council for its support of the event, as well as student council advisors Krista Anania and Lisa Brown for paving the way.

“With the money they’ve raised, these students are going to make our roads safer, and they’re going to educate young people like themselves about the dangers of driving impaired,” said Superintendent of Schools Erica Forti, who cheered on the students as they circled the track. “It’s a win-win.”

For more information or to donate to MADD CT, visit madd.org/connecticut.