‘Walk/Run Like MADD’ article, ad featured in new Bakersfield Life magazine

UPDATE: Several local media outlets have also made mention of the upcoming Walk/Run Like MADD. See the coverage below.

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The September issue of Bakersfield Life Magazine was unveiled on Saturday, and included in the Saturday edition of The Bakersfield Californian. The magazine featured an advertisement for the upcoming Walk Like MADD — sponsored by the Bakersfield personal injury law firm Chain | Cohn | Clark, and also included an article on the significance of Bakersfield’s first-ever 5K MADD walk and run.

The article and ad’s messages were even more important following this tragic weekend’s DUI-related crash. Read more about the fatal crash below.

The “Walk/Run Like MADD” 5K is being brought to Bakersfield by Mothers Against Drunk Driving Kern County on Saturday, Sept. 20 at the Park at River Walk. It’s aimed to raise awareness of drinking and driving crashes in Kern County, to raise money to support local victims and their families, and to fight to end drinking and driving in Bakersfield.

Currently, more than 175 participants have raised $22,600 for the walk. and run. The event is also sponsored by various community partners. They are Dignity Health, Chain | Cohn | Clark, Bakersfield Police Officers Association, Kern County Prosecutors Association, Ira Cohn of USB Financial, Comprehensive Blood & Cancer Center, Kern County Bar Association and Aum Physical Therapy.

There is still time to sign up to participate, donate, volunteer or sponsor in the Walk/Run Like MADD. For more information, go to Bakersfield’s MADD website here.

• You can view the ad for Walk Like MADD here.
• And you can read more about the upcoming event — including stories of victims taking part in the 5K — by clicking here.

Tragic weekend

The MADD ad, article and messages in the magazine were featured during a tragic weekend involving yet another fatal crash in Kern County involving alcohol.

Two people were killed in a fiery crash early Saturday morning when a suspected drunken driver slammed into the back of their car on Rosedale Highway, according to media reports. A third person was pulled from the burning car by passersby near the scene of the crash. That person suffered serious burn injuries and was taken to a hospital, media reported. The suspected drunken driver, 29-year-old Dontrell Collins, was booked on suspicion of felony drunken driving resulting in injury or death and vehicular manslaughter, police reported.

Collins, in a jailhouse interview with KERO Channel-23, said he didn’t remember anything from the night. Family members decried Collins for drinking and driving. Read the various media coverage of the incident below:

• Two killed in fiery crash early Saturday involving suspected drunken driver (The Bakersfield Californian)
• 2 dead, 1 injured in suspected DUI crash (KGET-17, NBC)
• Driver speaks out on deadly DUI crash that killed two women (KERO-23, ABC)

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Below is media coverage regarding the upcoming MADD event:

• Grieving families, advocates plead for end to drunken driving (KBAK-KBFX, 29-58, BakersfieldNow.com)
• Bakersfield Life Magazine featured an article about the walk and shared the stories of families of victims of drunken driving crashes. You can read the article here.
• Kern County Deputy District Attorney David Wolf and Chain | Cohn | Clark marketing director Jorge Barrientos — both part of the MADD walk planning committee — joined Sheri Ortiz on The Groove, 99.3, KKBB. Listen to the spot here.
• KERO Channel 23 is currently running promos of the event.
• Chain | Cohn | Clark attorney Matt Clark and Kern County Deputy District Attorney Brandon Stallings appeared on the live stream show First Look with Scott Cox to discuss the problem of drinking and driving in Bakersfield, and encourage local residents to join in on the MADD walk. Watch the video here.
• Eyewitness News (KBAK and KBFX, Channels 29 and 58) recently ran a story on the event following a DUI-related fatal Labor Day crash. The spot featured Mothers Against Drunk Driving Kern County victim advocate Carla Pearson. You can watch that here.
• Chain | Cohn | Clark marketing director Jorge Barrientos — who is part of the planning committee for the Walk/Run Like MADD — spoke with KGET Channel 17 Friday morning, Sept. 12.