When Danette Goad lost her only daughter in a crash caused by a drunk driver, she could have chosen to retreat into grief. Instead, she became one of MADD’s most committed volunteers and the founder of a global movement in her daughter’s name. On September 11, 2021, Danette’s daughter Ally, compassionate, vibrant, and just 22, was visiting friends in Jacksonville, Texas, when she was struck and killed in a head-on collision. A man under the influence crossed four lanes of traffic and hit her car, killing her. Since then, Danette has spoken at dozens of MADD Victim Impact Panels. She shares Ally’s story with rooms full of DWI/DUI offenders in Texas and Oklahoma, with deep compassion, education, and urgent truth. Ally GOAD IN LOVING MEMORY OF
“There are grown men in those rooms— men you’d never expect—who are crying by the time she finishes telling her story,” said Sherri Shoff, Area Executive Director for North Texas. “Danette turns her pain into purpose every time she tells her story.” Danette and her family created Ally Rocks 405, a nonprofit born just weeks after Ally’s death. It began with a simple gesture: a friend handed Danette 20 painted rocks to hide at Universal Studios and Disney World during a trip that Ally was supposed to attend. On the back of each rock was a message: If someone didn’t drink and drive, Ally would be alive.
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