As Moms on a Mission, Pam Coffren of Calvert County and Laurie Wood of Charles County spent many years discussing with students the importance of making good decisions behind the wheel by sharing the painful memories of the deaths of their children who were killed in separate motor vehicle collisions. After making a decision to move on from MOM, Coffren and Wood donated $10,000 of the money they have raised to the Charles County Sheriff’s Office’s Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program.
Coffren and Wood presented a check to Sheriff Frederick E. Davis, Capt. F. Michael Wyant and Sgt. Carl Rye, who supervises the Juvenile Resources Section, which administers the DARE program in schools.
“It has truly been a pleasure working with Pam and Lori to help them deliver their important message to students,” said Sheriff Davis. “We may never know how many lives they’ve saved but I know their message has made an impact. It is very honorable of them to make such an effort to prevent other parents from experiencing the same tragedy they faced and will continue to deal with each day.”
Coffren and Wood received donations from the community to make MOM successful and decided once they disbanded to return the money the best way possible — to the community. The money donated to the Sheriff’s Office will support DARE, which officers teach to school-age children. The program focuses on preventing substance abuse while helping students raise self-esteem, manage stress and anger, learn the consequences of their behavior, make good decisions and gain the knowledge and confidence they need to refuse drugs and alcohol.
MOM worked for many years with Cpl. Rick Boggs, who was formerly the alcohol enforcement officer but is now an intelligence investigator who was called to active duty by the Maryland Army National Guard and is stationed in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. They have been working with Sgt. Rye for about a year.
“We appreciate everything that the Sheriff’s Office has done for MOM. Had it not been for Rick Boggs, I’m sure we would not have had the monies that we collected,” said Wood. “When he joined us, it took us to a different level.”
“The community was so accepting and supportive and I am grateful they let us come into the schools to talk to the students,” said Coffren. “Rick Boggs was wonderful and he showed me a new respect for law enforcement. Anything we needed, Sheriff Davis made sure we had it. And when Carl Rye stepped in, he was such a help to us. And Laurie and I have such love and respect for each other and we’ve helped each other deal with the loss of Derek and Jamie. We’ve come so far together.”
And although MOM has moved on, its founders and the Sheriff’s Office continue to urge all motorists to drive safely.
RELATED INFORMATION:
Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) Program
http://www.dare.com/