Nomination Letter

Mariah’s Challenge

This story is how one organization is MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Mariah Daye McCarthy lived her life with faith, family, and friends at the center of her heart. She was an old soul with a young heart and had a special outlook on life. She was an observer and deep thinker. Always watching and listening to everything around her. She needed to feel comfortable before she joined in a new activity. She pondered each and every decision before making a move. She never jumped into anything without analyzing each detail thoroughly. She was a friend to anybody who needed one. On October 28, 2007 she was killed by a drunk driver!!

She loved her home town, Butte, Montana. Her Irish heritage fit well with Buttes Irish history. Butte is a mining town and has all of the vices that come with it. Copper is one of Buttes most valuable assets. Drinking and Alcohol Abuse has always been an accepted practice and for far too long has been accepted as a rite of passage. If a teen was old enough to work in the mines, he was old enough to stand at the bar with his father after the shift and have a few drinks. Times have moved slowly in Butte and this rite has yet to fade. Teens are still afforded very lenient punishment if they are caught with alcohol and many parents still blame the judge for having to pay the minor in possession fine that is levied. The court reports are littered with DUI offenders who are charged with their 4th, 5th and even 6th DUI infractions. These drunk drivers are exacting their toll on Butte’s other precious asset… its youth!! Every year, Butte suffers the loss of its young people who die as a result of alcohol abuse. In 2007, Mariah and her family paid the price.

On November 1, 2007 Butte turned out for the funeral services of Mariah. At her services her father Leo challenged all of Butte, but especially Mariah’s Classmates to stop this nonsense. He issued them a challenge…

He issued them Mariah’s Challenge and begged of them this….

“Let’s strive to be the first graduating class not to drink. Lets prevent drinking and driving from taking any more of Butte’s most valuable asset… it’s YOUTH!!”

On November 8th, one week after the funeral services, an organization called Mariah’s Challenge was formed www.mariahschallenge.com.

In the next few days and weeks concerned citizens from all over Butte responded and asked to help. Unbeknownst to Mariah’s Challenge, the local Health Department had just received a substantial grant to help curb teen binge drinking in the county. Mariah’s Challenge asked if they could team up to help spread the word. In addition, a local DUI task force was assembled consisting of law enforcement, retailers, judges and concerned citizens whose only goal is to reduce the abuse of alcohol in this old mining town.

On Friday February 8, 2008, Mariah’s Challenge was introduced to the Mining City during the local high school basketball game… This was the first time in the history of Butte that the silent majority rose up to create positive change that will undoubtedly save countless lives.

Beyond the initial launch, town hall meetings, school assemblies and community events asked Mariah’s Challenge to bring our message to their classes and community leaders. To date over 10,000 people in 28+ communities have heard the message that Mariah’s Challenge brings and the results have been positive. In Butte alone, the alcohol awareness, that has escaped this mining town for over 100 years, is strong and fired up. Law Enforcement, Judges, retailers and parents have accepted the Challenge and are determined to make a difference.

Last year, the Mariah Daye McCarthy Scholarship Foundation provided over $30,000 in college scholarship to those teens who accepted, and succeeded with Mariah’s Challenge. This year the foundation will provide more than $35,000…

The story and actions of this community is amazing when you consider the environment. If this hard drinking mining town can come together to make a change, how many other communities in need can do the same. We would like the opportunity to discuss how we can share what worked for us, and detail how any community can pick up the torch and light the path for change to any issue that plagues their town.

Please feel free to contact me at any time should you find yourself with questions or comments. Please visit the website to see ALL of the amazing work that this organization has accomplished in a short amount of time!
www.mariahschallenge.com
Yours in hope
Bob T. Bennie