NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The 2024 Ride Like MADD Poker Run presented by Bretz Injury Law is coming up this weekend.
The run will take place in Wichita on Saturday, Oct. 5 with registration starting at 9:30 a.m. at Jay Hatfield Honda Powerhouse, 11212 E Kellogg Drive.
This poker run helps raise funds and awareness for Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) in the effort to stop drunk and drugged driving.
"When MADD was started in 1980, there were about 40,000 Americans who were killed by drunk drivers a year. That number got down to as low as about 10,000 right before COVID," Matt Bretz said. "Since COVID occurred, it's gone up to about 13,000 Americans killed a year by drunk and drugged driving. It's a real issue. And MADD has been at the forefront. I'm on the board of directors on the national board of MADD. We work really on two main areas. One is supporting victims and helping them through the process and survivors, people who have lost family members. The other thing is raising awareness of the dangers of drunk and drugged driving and to put an end to it."
Entry is $25 a hand or $50 for 3 hands with proceeds benefitting MADD of Kansas. Payouts are as follows: 25% for the best hand, 15% for the second best hand, and 10% for the worst hand. Stops include Cycle Gear, Pinkies, Savage Cycles, Freedom Road Cycles, and Twister City Harley-Davidson. A free lunch will be served after the run courtesy of Twister City and the PrairieThunder HOG Chapter. There will be a $5 raffle and plenty of door prizes. Donations are accepted and all vehicles are welcome.
"One of the biggest things we've done recently was passage of the HALT Act that would include technology in new cars that prevents drunk driving estimated to save 10,000 lives a year," Bretz said. "The technology discussed in the HALT Act has been around since 2006. It's on some European cars already. And it's passive technology. The driver sits in the car. It detects whether you're impaired. And if you're impaired, it won't let you start the engine."
This year, the ride is in memory of Ashley Austin, who lost her life to an impaired driver on Dec. 19, 2023. Ashley will be forever remembered as a beloved agriculture education teacher at Canton-Galva High School. Growing up on a farm fostered her passion for agriculture, leading her to start the first FFA program for USD 419. Her dedication to her students will have long-lasting effects on the present and future generations. Ashley is greatly loved and deeply missed by her family, friends, students, and her dog Rowan.
"There are people every weekend here in Hutchinson and across Reno County, there are people every weekend who get arrested for drunk driving, and thank goodness, most people don't kill anyone when they do it, but sometimes they do," Bretz said. "This technology keeps people from having to make the choice. You know, if they if they leave the bar and they've only had a couple and they think that they're fine and their car won't start, you know, then there's no shame in going back inside and saying, you know, it turns out, I guess I've had a little bit more than I thought I did."
If you aren't able to go on Saturday, but you'd still like to give, you can do so online.