MADD and General Motors Announce Power of You(th)® Teen Video Contest Winner

Mothers Against Drunk Driving® (MADD) and General Motors (GM) are thrilled to announce the winner of our 2023 MADD Power of You(th) Teen Video Contest. After receiving numerous submissions from talented teens across the nation, the judges have selected Cheyenne Wheatley from Arizona as the National Grand Prize winner.

DALLAS, May 12, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Mothers Against Drunk Driving® (MADD) and General Motors (GM) are thrilled to announce the winner of our 2023 MADD Power of You(th) Teen Video Contest. After receiving numerous submissions from talented teens across the nation, the judges have selected Cheyenne Wheatley from Arizona as the National Grand Prize winner.

In recognition of SAMSHA's National Prevention Week, MADD recognizes that peers have a powerful influence on each other. Just as teens can be influenced by others' negative choices, they can also be impacted by the positive choices that their peers make. That is why MADD is calling upon teens to take a stand and be the example. Mothers Against Drunk Driving is proud to be one of many organizations around the country encouraging people to raise awareness about the importance of substance misuse prevention and mental health promotion in their communities as part of National Prevention Week.

The contest, which was open to 9th – 12th grade high school students in the following states: AZ, MD, NC, OH, SC, challenged participants to create a short video on the theme of the dangers of underage alcohol and cannabis use. The winning video stood out for its creativity, originality, and powerful message.

As the National Grand Prize winner, Cheyenne will receive the $1,000 cash prize. In addition, their video will be featured on powerofyouth.com, MADD's website for teens and via numerous social media channels, giving them a platform to share their message with a wider audience. For more information about the 2023 MADD Power of You(th) Teen Video Contest and to watch the winning video, visit powerofyouth.com and follow us on our social channels.

Hear from the winner: "I have a vested interest in helping my peers understand and recognize the truth about substance use and abuse. I hope to be able to educate and encourage other teens to make the right choices," Cheyenne shared. "I chose to participate because I believe in this organization and its mission. I have seen substance abuse negatively impact too many of my friends. I think if teens were properly educated about the dangers of substance use there would be less substance use among teens".

"We want to congratulate Cheyenne on her incredible achievement," said Tess Rowland, MADD National President. "With teen alcohol use killing 4,300 people under the age of 21 in the U.S. each year, we hope that this experience will inspire them to continue pursuing their passions and using their voice to make a positive impact in the world."

Funded in part by a grant from General Motors, this program is helping empower youth to resist the pressure to drink or consume cannabis. Further, it is bringing greater awareness about the influence teens have in creating a future without drunk driving.

"General Motors and MADD have a long history of working to find solutions to combat impaired driving," said Terry Rhadigan, Vice President of Corporate Giving at GM. "We're proud of this campaign and the teens who are creating a groundswell of safe driving awareness among their peers."

MADD's Power of You(th) program sponsored by our National Presenting Sponsor, Amica Insurance, features interactive presentations delivered by certified facilitators to help youth explore the real, short- and long-term impacts of drinking and using cannabis underage, including how it damages their brains and the long-lasting consequences. MADD also offers tools directly to teens to encourage them to use their power to keep themselves and their friends safe by making a pledge not to drink or use cannabis before 21 and to never ride with an impaired driver.

For more information on MADD's Power of You(th) program, to request a presentation and to download the teen booklet, visit powerofyouth.com.

ABOUT MOTHERS AGAINST DRUNK DRIVING:
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 has helped to save more than 400,000 lives, reduce drunk driving deaths by more than 50 percent and promote designating a non-drinking driver. MADD's Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving® calls for law enforcement support, ignition interlocks for all offenders, and advanced vehicle technology. MADD has provided supportive services to nearly one million drunk and drugged driving victims and survivors at no charge through local victim advocates and the 24-Hour Victim Help Line 1-877-MADD-HELP. For more information or to make a donation, visit us at https://madd.org/ and follow MADD on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

About General Motors
General Motors (NYSE:GM) is a global company focused on advancing an all-electric future that is inclusive and accessible to all. At the heart of this strategy is the Ultium battery platform, which will power everything from mass-market to high-performance vehicles. General Motors, its subsidiaries and its joint venture entities sell vehicles under the Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, Cadillac, Baojun and Wuling brands. More information on the company and its subsidiaries, including OnStar, a global leader in vehicle safety and security services, can be found at https://www.gm.com.

Media Contact

Jennifer Dunn, MADD, 9176743128, [email protected]

SOURCE MADD