13 People Whose Memories Honor the Fight Against Drunk Driving
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2 min read(Sponsored Content | MADD)
When Mothers Against Drunk Driving was founded four decades ago, 25,000 people a year were killed by drunk drivers.
One of those victims was Cari Lightner. On May 3, 1980, the 13-year-old was walking to a church carnival with a friend when she was struck by a car and killed. The driver, who was drunk at the time, had recently been released from jail after his fourth drunk driving arrest.
That same year Cari’s mother, Candace Lightner, turned her grief and anger into action. She founded MADD and began the hard work of reshaping America’s attitudes toward drunk driving.
Over the past 40 years, MADD has saved hundreds of thousands of lives and helped many more victims and families. And yet, there is more work to be done.
Around 10,000 people still die each year because of drunk driving — and MADD says they won’t stop or celebrate until that number is zero.
Today we honor the memory of a few dedicated individuals who joined MADD in the fight against drunk driving, promoting public safety and working tirelessly on behalf of victims.
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Mary Sumikawa Wiley-Harris (d. 2019)
Mary’s association with MADD began when her 20-year-old daughter Alice was killed by a drunk driver in 1980. Mary started the first Florida chapter of MADD and became known as the “MADD Mom” for her efforts to reduce drunk driving fatalities. In 1984, the Orlando Sentinel named her “Floridian of the Year.”
“This MADD Mom has made a big difference!”
View Mary Sumikawa Wiley Harris’s obituary
James Henry Weaver (1945–2019)
The loss of his only son Chad to a drunk driver in 1987 inspired Jim to work for change. He served as a local president and state officer for MADD, “advocating for victims of drunk driving crashes in court.” Together he and his wife “worked to improve legislation surrounding drunk driving penalties in Washington state.”
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