GUERNSEY – In the article published last week featuring a successful Madison Cook Memorial raft-off, the name of the main speaker was attributed as Madison’s mom, but was actually her Aunt Lauren Correa.
Correa addressed the crowd to encourage them to enjoy life, the simple things in nature, spending time with your family and making lasting memories. “That’s why we’re here. Her legacy lives long in our hearts and memory…I encourage you to reach out to others…talk to each other. Maybe you can be the light they needed today,” she said.
“I think the turnout was great – it gets bigger and bigger each year! I saw a lot of new faces, which means we’re reaching crowds we’ve not reached before,” Correa said after the event that started with family and close friends as a way to turn a tragic loss into a day to remember good times and make new memories in Madison’s honor.
During the raft-off, participants float the North Platte River from Madison’s Beach in Guernsey to Whalen Dam in Goshen County. The donations received in Madison’s memory are used to maintain Madison’s Beach and other landing points along the river, but a portion of the funds will be donated to Goshen County Task Force on Family Violence and Sexual Assault.
The task force offers a 24-hour crisis hotline, advocacy, counseling, intervention, and education services for those in need. For more information on the task force in Goshen County, call 307-532-2118, email victim@goshencounty.org. For information on victim advocacy and assistance in Platte County, contact Project SAFE at 307-322-4794 or email ps@projectsafe-wyo.org. Not in the Goshen or Platte County area? A national domestic violence hotline can be reached at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233).