Today we’d like to introduce you to Heather Geronemus.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I’m a native New Yorker, raised primarily in South Florida. After graduating from Pine Crest School in Fort Lauderdale, I returned to New York to pursue professional ballet training while completing my Bachelor of Science at New York University. Following the loss of my father to a drunk driver in 2009, I received victim services from Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD). A MADD Victim Advocate, who was a stranger, called me and helped me get through the most terrible period of my life, with no expectation of anything in return. Once my father’s killer was sentenced to time in prison, I knew I had to help the organization that gave so much to me, so that no one would ever need that call from a stranger again.
Determined to be part of the solution, to help end drunk driving, I took a leadership role in Broward County’s Mothers Against Drunk Driving organization. I founded and chaired the first Annual Walk Like MADD & MADD Dash Fort Lauderdale in 2011. I chair this annual event each year and to date we’ve raised over $1.5 million for MADD in an area where no fundraising was occurring. In addition, I regularly represent MADD in conversations with media, law enforcement and with local, state and federal elected officials, traveling to Washington D.C. to meet with Florida’s Congressional and Senatorial delegations.
Two years ago, I was honored to join the National Board of Directors of MADD to drive the strategic direction of our organization to reach our goal of no more victims of drunk driving. I am proud to serve as the Vice Chair of the National Board of Directors of Mothers Against Drunk Driving and to continue to Chair Walk Like MADD & MADD Dash Fort Lauderdale for the eighth year in a row.
My charitable commitment extends to many other organizations, including the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, an organization I have volunteered for since the age of five, supporting both fundraising and awareness-generating events. I serve on the Board of Trustees of Pine Crest School, the Advisory Board of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, the Broward Sheriff’s Foundation Board of Directors, the Winterfest Boat Parade Board of Directors and the Emerging Leaders Council of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
When I became a volunteer for MADD, the organization was nearly 30 years old and while it was and still is the nation’s leading non-profit tackling the deadliest traffic safety issue on our roads, drunk driving, the organization’s image was not strong here in South Florida. Somewhere along the line, people began to believe that MADD was an organization for prohibitionists, which is completely untrue but hard to shake once the stereotype was made. Add to the fact that there were around 6,000 registered non-profits in Broward County the year that we founded Walk Like MADD & MADD Dash Fort Lauderdale and I was looking at a very steep uphill battle.
I started by educating people on who MADD really is, the services we provide for victims and the life-saving prevention programming we can do on the front end. We slowly gained support by demonstrating to community leaders, corporations, law enforcement and elected officials that partnering with MADD had a direct impact on saving lives in our community. What was once a community primarily composed of victims, is now a movement of thousands of people, working to change minds and save lives in our community.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Founded in 1980 by a mother whose daughter was killed by a drunk driver, Mothers Against Drunk Driving® (MADD) is the nation’s largest nonprofit working to end drunk driving, help fight drugged driving, support the victims of these violent crimes and prevent underage drinking. MADD changed American culture by promoting the “designated driver” in 1986 and related red ribbon awareness campaign Tie One On For Safety®. MADD’s Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving® has reduced drunk driving fatalities by 25 percent since its launch. MADD supports drunk and drugged driving victims and survivors at no charge, providing a service every four minutes through local victim advocates and the 24-Hour Victim Help Line 1-877-MADD-HELP. Power of Parents® and Power of Youth® programs reduce underage drinking. Learn more by visiting madd.org or calling 1-877-ASK-MADD.
I am proud to share that working together with the Broward Sheriff’s Office DUI Task Force and Sheriff Scott Israel, we have significantly reduced drunk driving deaths and incidents in Broward County. We have also inspired our partners at the Florida Highway Patrol and Fort Lauderdale Police Department to prioritize DUI enforcement, both have recently created their own dedicated DUI task forces.
I am also so proud of this community for tackling this issue head on. I am so grateful to the hundreds of sponsors and the thousands of participants and donors that participate in Walk Like MADD & MADD Dash Fort Lauderdale each year. This is the true power of philanthropy in action. We help people that we don’t even know and they may not even know they need it. I don’t look at the $1.5 million dollars we have raised over the years as just donations to an organization, I see it as 1.5 million choices we have made to take a stand against drunk driving and save lives in our community.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
Locally, I plan to continue to grow Walk Like MADD & MADD Dash Fort Lauderdale with my team of dedicated Steering Committee members, event Co-Chair Rachel Perz and our Honorary Chairman, Broward Sheriff Scott Israel. On a state level, it’s time our legislators passed ignition interlock laws for first time offenders of drunk driving to save our streets and our children from repeat offenders. I will work tirelessly with our Government Affairs team to see that through. MADD has successfully pushed for laws requiring these devices for drunk driving offenders in 30 states. But, research shows that if adopted nationwide, an additional 1,000 lives could be saved each year. Finally, I recently became the Vice Chair of the National Board of Directors of Mothers Against Drunk driving which will require a tremendous amount of focus as we guide our organization into its fourth decade. We have cut drunk driving deaths in half in our country but we still have a long way to go to reach our goal of ‘No More Victims’.
Pricing:
- 5k Runner – Adult $35.00
- 5k Runner – Youth $25.00
- Walker – Adult $30.00
- Walker – Youth $20.00
- Virtual Walker $25.00
Contact Info:
- Address: MADD Florida, State Office
1655 N. Commerce Pkwy., Ste. 302
Weston, FL 33326 - Website: www.walklikemadd.org/fortlauderdale
- Phone: 954.448.7880 ext.7258
- Email: heather.geronemus@madd.org
- Instagram: @madddash5k
- Facebook: facebook.com/MADDDashFortLaud
- Twitter: @madddash
- Other: www.madd.org
Image Credit:
Downtown Photo
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