11 Nov MADD BRINGS TOGETHER CALIFORNIA TEENS AND PARENTS
***MEDIA ADVISORY***
Pre-event and onsite interviews are available upon request.
Media Advisory for MADD Teen Influencer Summit, Whittier, California
AT 8th ANNUAL TEEN INFLUENCER SUMMIT IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
WHAT:
The Southern California Office of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) will host its 8th Annual Teen Influencer Summit on Saturday, November 16th. This free event is led by MADD’s Teen Influencer Group, featuring activities and workshops for youth and their parents to help prevent underage substance abuse. This year’s youth workshops will focus on prevention, plus social and emotional learning; adult participants will attend MADD’s Power of Parents® workshop and hear from a panel with professional and lived experience. The purpose of the Teen Influencer Group is to provide leadership development for teens by training them to be peer-to-peer educators. These teens provide MADD with the youth perspective and use their voices to educate the public. By reducing and then eliminating underage substance use, these teens will help MADD end impaired driving.
“We are excited to bring together our community partners and most importantly — inspiring teen influencers from Southern California,” said Patricia Rillera, MADD California State Executive Director. “We want to help teens in our community make the right choice to avoid alcohol and other drugs. The summit is a perfect way to empower teens to make smart and healthy choices, resist peer pressure and hear stories of real teens who’ve experienced positive and negative consequences.”
Two influential teens involved in the planning of this year’s event are Sofia Combel and Ben Haworth, who have both been involved with MADD for four years. Sofia, who has led a workshop at the annual summit each year of her tenure, shares that “I’ve had the privilege to help others learn how they can help prevent tragedies. The MADD summit helps empower youth by teaching them more than statistics.” Ben, a graduating senior, will be giving this year’s keynote speech. His message is simple, “Don’t be another teen statistic–be a part of the change. Teenagers have the power to positively impact our communities and end impaired driving for good.”
WHEN:
Saturday, November 16, 2024
Check-in: 8:30 a.m.
Summit: 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
WHERE:
Los Nietos Middle School, 11425 Rivera Road Whittier, CA 90606
Visit to register. TINYURL.COM/MADDCATEEN2024
WHO:
The following will be in attendance:
- Patricia Rillera, California State Executive Director, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD)
- Waymo autonomous driving technology demonstration
- Community partners with traffic safety, mental health, and substance use prevention resources
WHY:
* Kids who start drinking young are seven times more likely to be in an alcohol-related crash.
- Teens who do NOT drink alcohol until they are 21 are over 80% less likely to abuse alcohol or become alcohol dependent later in life than those who drink before age.
- Underage drinking contributes to a range of acute consequences, such as injuries, sexual assaults, alcohol overdoses, and deaths—including those from motor vehicle crashes.
- On November 3rd, 2024, a teen accused of driving impaired allegedly ran a red light and struck a police cruiser in Harbor Gateway, resulting in a rollover crash that injured two officers, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. The teenage driver was arrested on suspicion of DUI.
About Mothers Against Drunk Driving
Mothers Against Drunk Driving® (MADD) is a national nonprofit leading the movement to end impaired driving for good. Since 1980, MADD has helped reduce drunk driving deaths in America by nearly 40%, saved more than 475,000 lives, and served more than one million victims and survivors. The organization is committed to leading prevention efforts with young adults, collaborating with law enforcement to keep our roads safe from impaired drivers, as well as advocating for stricter sentencing and stronger laws, including the HALT Act that mandates anti-drunk driving technology in every new car. MADD continues to provide support services to victims and survivors of impaired driving at no charge through victim advocates and the 24-Hour Victim Help Line 1-877-MADD-HELP. For more information or to donate, visit https://madd.org/ and follow MADD on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
Contact: Patricia Rillera, MADD California State Executive Director
(714) 838-6199 ext. 6654 / pat.rillera@madd.org
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