6th Annual Wayne's Walk Foundation 5K Walk and Beach Celebration

The Wayne's Walk Foundation, Inc. is a 501 (c)(3) public charity that was established by the family and friends of Wayne Nicholas Lecardo, a Stratford native who was killed by a teenage drunk driver in 2007, two days before his 34th birthday.  Wayne, his coworker and the teen were all killed in the crash. The entrance to "Wayne's Walk" is located on Riverdale Drive, where as a child, Wayne would clean and maintain the pathway leading to Long Island Sound and Short Beach.  Since the official dedication of Wayne's Walk in June of 2011, the Wayne's Walk Foundation, Inc. has hosted an annual 5K Walk along the shoreline of Stratford.

The foundation's mission is to raise awareness of the dangers of drinking and driving, to support activities and educational programs that inform the public about the impact of drinking and driving, and to financially support victims and families of drunk driving crashes. The foundation has established a Victim Assistance Fund where drunk driving victims can apply for financial assistance.  To date, the organization has given more than $25,000.00 to needy victims of drunk driving crashes. They are the only nonprofit organization in the State of Connecticut with a fund to help drunk driving victims.

In addition, the organization has created a unique and innovative partnership with Uber to prevent drunk driving.  This "first-of-its-kind" partnership in the nation funds Uber rides within the Town of Stratford on weekends and holidays. Uber riders who select the Wayne's Walk option in the Uber app on Friday and Saturday evenings in Stratford get a free ride home (up to $10.00).  Wayne's Walk has provided over 800 free Uber rides in the last five months, including nearly 150 over Memorial Day weekend. This program provides an alternative to drinking and driving and is directly keeping impaired drivers off of the roads.

Registration for the event begins at 9:00 am in the Short Beach parking lot in Stratford. A welcome ceremony will take place at 9:30 am, followed immediately by the 5K Walk.  Several local, state, and federal officials have been invited to the event.  A beach celebration will take place after the walk with food, live music, and family friendly activities.

For more information or to register online for the 5K Walk, please visit www.wayneswalk.org.