Cheer Goes MADD
The Cheer team will be performing at the MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) 5K opening ceremony on Sept. 19 in Downtown Dallas.
MADD is an organization that hosts an annual walk in remembrance of those who have died, been injured, or are recovering because of drunk driving.
“It’s a really great organization to work with,” head cheer coach Danielle Trepagnier said. “It lets the girls get to realize how impactful drunk driving really is.”
Hebron personally has an experience with MADD; sophomore Trevor Schor passed away in 2007 after being hit by a drunk driver on FM-544.
“The atmosphere of the school was just really low,” Trepagnier said. “I mean, Trevor was a popular guy. It was pretty solemn.”
He was hit by a drunk driver while attempting to make an illegal U-turn to go help his girlfriend change a flat tire; it was a hit-and-run.
After Trevor’s death, his parents, Kristin and Kevin Schor, approached Trepagnier with the idea of working with MADD.
“Since then, it’s been something we really wanted to continue pursuing,” Trepagnier said. “She and her husband are very active in MADD.”
A few years after Trevor’s death, his younger sister, Erin, was on the cheer team. A memorial for Trevor is located outside of the auditorium between the freshmen campus and the main campus. A plaque sits beneath the tree marking the area. He also has his own website at www.trevorschor.org that details the story of his death.
“At some point, we’ll see what lesson we’re supposed to learn from this,” Kristin said on Trevor’s website.
MADD has a memorial for everyone who has died in drunk driving accidents. Families bring in one shoe for each person who has died.
“I really like going to MAAD because it’s a really good organization to support,” Senior cheer team member Ryleigh Mitrione said. “There are a lot of shoes [in the memorial]. There’s baby shoes and big shoes and it really puts you in the mindset that you really shouldn’t drink and drive.”
The cheer team hopes to continue going to MADD in the future.
“Every day we live our lives in a bubble,” Trepagnier said. “It’s a day-to-day routine and we kind of forget that there’s other people out there that are struggling and have really been affected by things that may not have affected us. But they can always use the encouragement. Not everyone will share their life story with you.”
Sophomore Maleeha Ahmad is a staff writer and this is her first year on staff. Maleeha enjoys reading, playing basketball, and mocking pop culture. She...