Allison Stice covers crime and courts for the Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette. She graduated from the University of Maryland and has lived in the Ivory Coast and France. | Christmas came early for Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) Beaufort County, which recently received an $88,500 gift.
The money came from the trust of the late Georgette Langsam of Hilton Head, S.C. According to her attorney, Richard Allen of Fraser & Allen, LLC, Langsam felt compelled to make the donation after a recent string of underage drunk driving crashes that have killed several Hilton Head teenagers.
MADD will use the money to buy equipment and train volunteers in the implementation of the group’s researched-based approach to underage drinking prevention, which includes the Power of Parents®, according to a news release.
The Power of Parents program educates parents on how to have on-going conversations with their teens about the dangers of alcohol — conversations that have been shown to significantly reduce underage drinking behaviors, the release said.
The funds will also be used to recruit and train volunteers in the areas of victim assistance, victim impact panels, and public presentations — with the ultimate goals of serving victims and reducing drunk driving and underage drinking deaths and injuries throughout the state.
Those interested in volunteering with MADD as part of this effort should contact Frank Hamilton at 843-525-0233 or maddfrank@embarqmail.com.