Candace Lightner

   FROM THE BEGINNING OF TIME, IMPORTANT SOCIAL AND POLITICAL CHANGES HAVE BEEN THE DIRECT RESULT OF DEDICATED INDIVIDUALS. I KNOW OF NO BETTER EXAMPLE THAN THE FOUNDING OF MOTHERS AGAINST DRUNK DRIVING AND IT’S CREATOR CANDY LIGHTNER . . A NATION IS IN YOUR DEBT.
- John Mack Carter, Editor-in-Chief, Good Housekeeping Magazine

Media
Candace Lightner CNN

“Lightner had never organized anything, never given a public speech. But within a week {of her daughter’s death} she had created Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD)…” - The Washington Post

“Lightner founded Mothers Against Drunk Driving in 1980 but has shifted her focus to drugged driving, saying the issue is not getting enough attention.” - NBC

One of "Seven Who Succeeded" - Time Magazine

A member of “America's New Leadership Class" - Esquire

Candace Lightner CNNLightner has contributed knowledge, expertise and personal experience to virtually every newspaper and talk show across the nation and in other countries such as Great Britain, Brazil, Germany, France, Japan, Canada, Norway, Denmark, and Sweden. Her media includes, the Today Show, Good Morning America, CNN, Fox News, 60 Minutes, Nightline, NBC News with Lester Holt, Vogue, The Los Angeles Times, the Wall Street Journal, Adweek, Ladies Home Journal, Mashable and the Huffington Post. She was featured in several documentaries, including The Twentieth Century Project, by the famous Oscar winning director Bob Zemeckis and Seeds of Resiliency featured on NPR. Time honored Ms. Lightner as one of "Seven Who Succeeded;" Esquire picked her as one of "America's New Leadership Class;" and Ladies Home Journal listed her as one of the "Top 100 Women in America. She was chosen by Life Magazine as one of "The Original Thinkers of the 80's" She was also the subject of an Emmy nominated T.V. movie, entitled Mothers Against Drunk Drivers: The Candy Lightner Story.

 

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"All too often people don’t step up to an issue because they think that the individual can’t be heard. Candy Lightner got the job done. She has made America aware of the senseless waste and tragedy of drunk driving. We all owe her our thanks."

-Lee Iacocca, Chrysler Corp

"Candy Lightner turned her personal tragedy into the leading effort to getting the laws changed and even tougher, getting the attitudes changed."

-Joan Lunden, former Good Morning America Co-host

Podcasts

  • Chit & Chat: Encouraging One Another Podcast
    By Jody Shuffield
    In this episode I am honored to be speaking with Candace Lightner. Founder of MADD & Founder and President of We Save Lives. She has an incredible story, and I am excited to share her story and hear about the amazing work that "We Save Lives" are doing. She founded MADD after losing her daughter, Cari, to a drunk-driving accident in order to raise awareness about the dangers of drunk driving. She helped to pass state drunk driving legislation in both the United States and in her home state of Wisconsin. Serena later established Students Against Drunk Driving as a way to keep drunk drivers off the road. It was such a honor talking with Candace and sharing about her story,
    Jody Shuffield and Candace Lightner
  • Surviving The Survivor
    In today’s episode, Ruth Markel, the mother of Dan Markel, joins the founder of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) to discuss turning grief and pain into advocacy.
    Ruth’s son, Daniel, was a Harvard undergraduate and graduate law school professor who was shot and killed in his driveway in 2014. Ruth is also the author of “The Unveiling: A Mother’s Reflection on Murder, Grief and Trial Life.”
    Candace Lightner is a spokesperson and widely recognized as one of the most influential American citizens of the 21st century. Candace is the founder of the first national anti-drunk driving campaign in the United States and currently manages the “We Save Lives” foundation.
    In today’s episode, we’ll be discussing turning mourning, grief, and pain into public movements and a force for good.
    Ruth Markel and Candace Lightner on Turning Grief into Advocacy
  • Positive Sobriety Podcast
    A sobering and inspiring conversation with the founder of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and We Save Lives.
    Episode 135 — Saving Lives with Candace Lightner
  • National Passenger Safety Week – Empowering passengers to speak up
    Host and Executive Director of KKAD25 Tom Everson talks with Candace Lightner, Founder of M.A.D.D. (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) and We Save Lives, an organization that offers a representative voice on traffic safety issues.
    Keep Kids Alive Podcast - Candace Lightner Episode 24
  • Do you know Candace Lightner?
    One of the most influential activists in the history of the United States. Known by being the founder of the "Mothers Against Drunk Driving", an organization created after she lost her daughter, hit by someone driving under the influence of alcohol. MADD has changed so many lives, and saved thousands of lives, by educating people on the problematic of driving while being on the influence of alcohol, but as well, by working with lawmakers to change the rules of the game, and with that also change more and more lives She has not stopped after MADD. After leaving MADD, Candace has worked with so many organizations all over the world, and she is now running an organization "We Save Lives", that is still focusing on Drunk Driving, but it doesn't stop there. 3 D's: Drunk, Distracted and Drugged Driving is the cause.
    S3 Ep 04: Candace Lightner | You can be the game changer!
  • Fighting for a Cause while you transcend as a better version
    Podcast Episode 18
  • Candace Lightner is the Founder of Mother's Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and We Save Lives. She became an unintended advocate when her 13 year old daughter was killed by a drunk driver. She later founded We Save Lives to further educate and influence the public about (the 3D's) Drunk, Drugged, and Distracted driving. If you want to understand what it takes to overcome obstacles then Candace Lightner is the episode for you.
    Challenge Your Thinking with Dr. Linda Tucker
  • Talk it Through Podcasts June 2020
    Candace Lightner/You can be the GameChanger
    Episode Description:
    Do you know Candace Lightner?
    One of the most influential activists in the history of the United States. Known by being the founder of the "Mothers Against Drunk Driving", an organization created after she lost her daughter, hit by someone driving under the influence of alcohol.
    MADD has changed so many lives, and saved thousands of lives, by educating people on the problematic of driving while being on the influence of alcohol, but as well, by working with lawmakers to change the rules of the game, and with that also change more and more lives
    She has not stopped after MADD. After leaving MADD, Candace has worked with so many organizations all over the world, and she is now running an organization "We Save Lives", that is still focusing on Drunk Driving, but it doesn't stop there. 3 D's: Drunk, Distracted and Drugged Driving is the cause.
    PODCAST EPISODE
  • December 16, 2011 - Changing People's Minds
    It’s hard to change behavior behind the wheel. But there’s a precedent: drunk driving. Candace Lightner founded Mothers Against Drunk Driving in 1980, after two separate incidents where her twin daughters were hit by drunk drivers. She tells Bob about the lessons anti-distracted-driving advocates can learn from the drunk driving movement.
    Podcast
  • Look to MADD in changing our gun culture - 8:44 AM EST, Wed December 26, 2012
    This was both a TV interview and a blog with Christiane Amanpour
    Journalist after the Sandy Hook shootings
    Candace Lightner and Special to CNN
  • Parents Make Child's Death Their Cause - March 29, 2012
    Trayvon Martin's parents have been going public to bring attention to their son's death over a month ago. Melissa Block talks with two mothers, Annette Nance-Holt and Candace Lightner, who also spoke out publicly after the death of their children. Nance-Holt helped start a group called Purpose Over Pain and Lightner founded Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
    NPR News Radio Interview

Articles

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