March 4, 2013 MEDIA ADVISORY. CONTACT: Tonya Mathis, Healing Field Coordinator, BACODA,

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1 MEDIA ADVISORY March 4, 2013 CONTACT: Tonya Mathis, Healing Field Coordinator, BACODA, What: Bay Area Council On Drugs and Alcohol, Inc. (BACODA) will bring awareness to the fatal results of drinking and driving with its the Fifth Annual Healing Field Event. When: March 18-21, 2013 Healing Field Ceremony: March 18 at 4:00 p.m. Field Open to the Public: March :00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. School/Group: March 19 Where: Nessler Park & Doyle Convention Center, th Ave N, Texas City TX, Media: Media access and photo opportunities available during and after opening ceremonies. The media will have the opportunity to interview speakers, victims and attendees. Media kits will be available. Please RSVP to Stephanie Carrizal at or at stephanie.carrizal@bacoda.com if you plan to attend. Who: BACODA sponsors this free awareness event in partnership with the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, Department of State Health Services, Litarodi, Houston-Galveston Area Council, United Way Galveston County Mainland, Civil Air Patrol, City of Texas City, Texas City ISD, Galveston County, and other local agencies. Why: There will be 1,547 3ft x 5ft U.S. flags flown in memory of each individual who was killed in an alcohol-related motor vehicle crash in the State of Texas in 2011, the latest statistics provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The acres of red, white and blue will serve as a visual reminder of the deadly consequences of drinking and driving. Message: Yearly, Texas leads the nation in alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes. State and national laws have strengthened in an effort to address the DWI epidemic, but it s slow work. Driver s license suspensions, increased enforcement through No Refusal operations, and community-based approaches have all proven effective in stemming the DWI problem but not eradicating it. The most effective prevention of drinking and driving is made by drivers themselves. We must take individual responsibility for ending these tragic statistics. Together we plan to make a positive impact by working with our local judges, law enforcement, and community organizations through enforcement and education. We strongly encourage responsible drinking for adults. We hope after this dramatic visual presentation of lives lost that a person who gets behind the wheel of a car after consuming alcohol will think twice about the consequences. We hope they will choose to make the right decision and prevent senseless deaths. We want this event to raise awareness of the enormity of the problem, Karen Van Horne, CEO of BACODA said. Awareness builds strength in a community a strength that can bring about social change. ---MORE * Texas Statistical Data: Of 3,016 total fatality accidents, 1,547 were alcohol-related. Texas leads the nation in alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes. Harris County leads the State.

2 The Healing Field is quite a sight - a forest of 1,547 flags flapping in the wind over two football fields, said Jeff Kaufman, Transportation Safety Manager of the Houston-Galveston Area Council. It s immense and some may see it as beautiful as they walk through it. But what you are walking through are the lives of 1,547 people that are no more because someone decided to drink and drive. It s not beautiful. It s horrifying. History: The Healing Field started as a temporary, visual memorial for the victims of Sept. 11, 2001, and has evolved into commemorative events for other causes. BACODA helps individuals, families and communities stop alcohol and drug abuse through awareness, education, intervention and referral. Visit for more details or to purchase a flag. All proceeds benefit the mission of BACODA to help individuals, families and communities stop alcohol and drug abuse. BACODA is a non-profit 501(c)3 United Way agency that has provided substance abuse prevention and intervention services since *2012 Texas Statistical Data not available at time of printing. ###

3 Key Contacts at BACODA Communications Coordinator Jennifer Newton mobile Healing Field Coordinator Tonya Mathis mobile Youth Events Coordinator Sherri Fitzpatrick mobile Advance Event Media Coordinator Stephanie Carrizal office CEO of BACODA Karen Van Horne, MA, LPC, CPS Media: Media access and photo opportunities available during and after opening ceremonies. The media will have the opportunity to interview speakers, victims and attendees. Media kits will be available. Please RSVP to Stephanie Carrizal at or at if you plan to attend Texas Statistical Data: Of 3,016 total fatality accidents, 1,547 were alcohol related. Texas leads the nation in alcohol related fatality crashes. Harris County leads the State.

4 Statements Every high school student with a driver s license should see this field, said Pattie Shieh, reporter with FOX26 News. [My family] attended the Healing Field and we got the privilege to commemorate my grandma, grandpa and tia; three innocent lives. But it is a pain that never goes away. It still feels like it happened last week. Being at the Healing Field opened my eyes to how much pain and death happens when someone decides to drive drunk. Drinking and driving is never the answer, said Araceli Rivas, who lost her grandparents and aunt to a drunk driver in We want this event to raise awareness of the enormity of the problem. Awareness builds strength in a community a strength that can bring about social change, said Karen Van Horne, CEO of BACODA. The Healing Field is quite a sight - a forest of 1,547 flags flapping in the wind over two football fields. It s immense and some may see it as beautiful as they walk through it. But what you are walking through are the lives of 1,547 people that are no more because someone decided to drink and drive. It s not beautiful. It s horrifying, said Jeff Kaufman, Transportation Safety Manager of the Houston-Galveston Area Council.

5 Healing Field Ceremony: Monday, March 18, :00 P.M. at Nessler Park 1, 54 7 U.S. Flags to remember the lives lost in alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes on Texas roadways in 2011 Nessler Park & Doyle Convention Center th Ave N Texas City, TX Learn how you can help at March 18-21, 2013 BACODA will bring awareness of the fatal results of drinking and driving with a Healing Field Event Contact Tonya Mathis at (281) for more information BAY AREA COUNCIL ON DRUGS & ALCOHOL The Light At The End Of The Tunnel!