Robby Robertson
The Athens Review
Athens —
For the past year, Tammi Branch has just about experienced every emotion there is. She has been sad, frustrated, perplexed, angry and even a little excited, just to name a few.
Now she is MADD – Mothers Against Drunk Driving, that is.
Branch is heading up the Henderson County Walk Like MADD 2010 event in Gun Barrel City. The Walk is scheduled for Oct. 9 at the Gun Barrel City Park.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recently released a National Survey of Drinking and Driving Attitudes and Behaviors, confirming the importance of MADD’s work to eliminate drunk driving, and keep alcohol out of the hands of kids.
“The survey makes one thing very clear: Drunk driving remains a primary threat to the American family,” said Laura Dean-Mooney, MADD National President. “This means that MADD’s work won’t be done until cars are turned into the cure, eliminating drunk driving forever.”
Nobody knows this better than Branch. She lost her son, Eric, on Jan. 15, 2009 when he was riding in a car that crashed. Eric was killed upon impact. According to the police report, the driver of the car was traveling over 80 miles per hour, and was intoxicated more than twice the legal limit.
Tammi knew her life would never be the same.
“You know when you drop to your hands and knees, and you are begging someone to please let you see your son, it’s serious,” Branch said. “I still have scars on my knees from that night where I did that.”
It was her son, and for the first time in her life, she felt helpless and numb. It was a feeling she said she couldn’t explain, but for the next several months, she remained in shock.
“You just never know how your life can change in an instant like that,” Branch said. “I was feeling every emotion there was. I would be mad, and then angry and confused. I had days where I would just cry.”
DeAnna Browning, of the district attorney’s, office told Branch that Amanda Tevebaugh of MADD was here to help her.
“A week to the day after Eric’s funeral I was scheduled to come meet with DeAnna at the DA’s office, and I was also scheduled to pick up Eric’s remains,” Branch said. “DeAnna told me there was this woman named Amanda, and she was with Mothers Against Drunk Driving, and she wanted to talk with me. I didn’t want anything to do with that. I’m not getting on that band wagon.”
She said she had a misconception about MADD, thinking they want you to quit drinking totally. In reality, they don’t mind if you drink. They just don’t want you drinking and driving, Branch said.
“I think the main point of my call that day was to forget everything else you think about MADD,” Tevebaugh said. “I wanted her to know if she just needed to talk, I was there for her at any time day or night.”
Branch said that about a month latter when she felt the walls were closing in on her, and she wanted to die, she made that call, and Tevebaugh was there to help her through all of her emotions, as well as all the court proceedings.
“There were so many things she helped me with,” Branch said. “There were books, and things I needed to know about in the court room, and she was there every step of the way.”
By February or March of that year, Branch had already signed up for the Dallas Walk Like MADD, and was putting her team together, and raising money.
This year, Branch is putting all her effort into the Henderson County Walk Like MADD event. With the help of her committee members and the East Texas MADD office, she is hoping to go far beyond the goal of $5,000.
Tevebaugh said the committee is so blown away by the generosity of everyone in the county who has already donated and signed up to be a walker, but more support is needed. Walkers need to go to www.walklikemadd.org and click on the Gun Barrel City site to sign up.
Branch said there have been some schools in the county that have groups scheduled to walk. Every walker that raises $100 gets a T-shirt.
“Raising $100 is not that hard,” Tevebaugh said. “Find 10 people that will donate $10 for you to walk, and most people will do it. They know it is a great cause.”
There is no entry fee to walk. The route of the walk will be from the Gun Barrel Fire Department down State Highway 334 West Main Street, to the Beall’s parking lot and back.
Some of the sponsors already signed up for the event are:
• Diamond-$1,500
Weinstein Law Firm
AT & T Yellow Pages
• Platinum-$1,000
Henderson Co. District Attorney
Henderson County Attorney
Henderson County Sheriff’s Department
Voice, Inc.
Texas Department of Transportation/ TxDOT
• Gold-$500
The Ranch
Gap Broadcasting
Dr. Pepper
Ben E. Keith
ETMC-Cedar Creek Lake
Extreme BBQ
• Silver-$250
ETMC- EMS
McAfee Insurance
Prime Data
Edward Jones - Debra Davis
Story Electric
1st State Bank
Walmart - GBC
Gun Barrel Pharmacy
State Farm Insurance - Lona Mauk
Athens Collision Center
Lakeside Collision
Citizens State Bank - Mabank
Lighted Pathways Hospice
Linda & Kenneth Farmer Bail Bonds
Family Resource Center
Teague Chevrolet
Check ’n Go
Dairy Queen of Mabank and Gun Barrel City
• Bronze-$150
Ashley Adams McKee
Ken’s Confront Zone
A Yankee Locksmith
Ruth Martin Insurance
John Sickle Law Firm
Day Tire
A+ Garage Door
Brookshire’s Food & Pharmacy
• $50 donations
Citizens State Bank-Athens
Walmart - Athens
Christian Life Center
