Remembering Michael Sot HERO Walk – June 10
The 3rd Annual “Remembering Michael T. Sot HERO Walk” is scheduled for the morning of Saturday, June 10, 2023 at Arthur L. Johnson High School in Clark, NJ. The Walk is dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of safe and sober designated drivers and to celebrate Michael’s life.
The Sot family honors Michael’s memory, and his commitment to designated driving, by working with the John R. Elliott HERO Campaign for Designated Drivers to ensure other families don’t experience their pain and loss.
“We are so grateful to Michael’s family and event coordinator Julia Sapia for partnering with the HERO Campaign to hold the Remembering Michael T. Sot HERO Walk for the third year,” said Bill Elliott, chairman of the HERO Campaign. “As a stand-out baseball player and member of the National Honor Society, Michael was regarded as someone who his Clark High School classmates, family, and friends could depend on to do the right thing. Even after his passing, Michael’s legacy of service to others as a designated driver continues to inspire others.”
The goal of the HERO Campaign, named in honor of John R. Elliott, a graduate of the Naval Academy who was killed in a collision with a drunk driver in 2000, is to end drunk driving tragedies through the promotion and use of safe and sober designated drivers.
The Remembering Michael T. Sot HERO Walk will be held on Saturday, June 10, 2023 at the Arthur L. Johnson High School in Clark, NJ. Registration (Adult $25, Student $15) begins at 10 a.m. and a Remembering Michael ceremony takes place at 10:45 am, just before the start of the Walk. All proceeds from the event support the HERO Campaign’s mission to promote the use of safe and sober designated drivers. Visit https://p2p.onecause.com/michael-sot-2023to register and donate.
Michael was a 20-year-old sophomore at The College of New Jersey, when he pledged to remain sober one Saturday night in early December of 2018 and safely transport his Phi Kappa Psi fraternity brothers to a party. He made about two dozen trips as a designated driver that night before his vehicle was struck at 2 a.m. by a drunk driver. Michael and his five passengers were injured in the crash. They survived, but he succumbed to his injuries two days later.
In Michael’s memory, the public is encouraged to visit https://p2p.onecause.com/michael-sot-2023 to register to participate as an individual, to start or join a team, or to donate to a walk participant or team to help end drunk driving.
In addition to the walk, supporters can take the HERO Pledge to be and use designated drivers, and enjoy music, an auction, face painting, and balloon sculptures for the kids.
About the HERO Campaign for Designated Drivers:
The HERO Campaign was established by the family of Navy Ensign John Elliott of Egg Harbor Township, NJ, who was killed in a July 2000 collision with a drunken driver two months after graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy. The HERO Campaign is now saving lives throughout New Jersey and several neighboring states, including Pennsylvania and Delaware, through its partnerships with law enforcement; schools and colleges; federal and state highway safety organizations; the licensed beverage industry; and professional sports teams. Since its inception in 2000, the HERO Campaign has grown into a major movement to prevent impaired driving that has received national recognition and awards. It has also helped to reduce alcohol-related fatalities and incidents, including a 20 percent reduction in DUI fatalities in New Jersey and other states over the past decade. For more information visit HEROcampaign.org or call 609-626-3880.
