November 22nd is a difficult day for Elaine Commanda and her family.
"Fifteen years ago, my brother was killed by a drunk driver, and his daughter was severely injured."
Since the 1960's, the Commanda family has lost five family members due to impaired driving.
"My grandfather was killed crossing the street, my cousin was going to the store. My brother, my aunt, and my mom's first cousin were also killed over the years. I also have family members who were severely injured," said Commanda.
Commanda was speaking to students at Widdifield Secondary School to help MADD Nipissing Chapter launch its Project Red Ribbon campaign.
"I'm always creating awareness about drinking and driving. These students are our future, they are at an age where they are going to experiment, and they're starting to go out, so it's a good age to start educating, and creating awareness, year after year. It's imperative to get the message out, to tell our stories, so they can really think it over before they make bad choices."
Kathryn Douglas knows how lives can be forever changed in a split second.
"August 20th, 2000, my 17-year-old son Michael was injured by an impaired driver. He was walking home, and the impaired driver crossed the road and hit him head-on. He spent three months in hospital, one month of that Michael was in a coma at Sunnybrook hospital in Toronto. He was going to be going back to Widdifield in September, he was a football player. Instead, I had to sign papers to have his leg amputated," said Douglas.
"The message is 'think ahead'. The driver that hit Michael apparently was going to have a nap, but he chose instead to drive home. The effect it has on family, friends, the community, the First Responders, hospital staff, lawyers, insurance company's, physiotherapists, it has a ripple that affects everybody."
Every day is a struggle for her son Mike. In addition to losing a leg, he had multiple surgeries to save the other one. He also suffered a brain injury, damage to his heart and lungs, and a paralyzed vocal chord, the result of having a tube inserted for a month. He spent a total of 92 days in hospital.
"I made a lot of bad choices as a teenager, and right now I'm paying for someone else's mistake. I don't want to see other people go through that. I want them to make smart decisions. I don't want to talk down to these kids, I just want them to get the message," said Douglas.
"This was my therapy for the first five years. I was sent to see different psychologists and psychiatrists, it never helped me. My mom talked me into making speeches for MADD because I was at the age these kids are at now when I was hurt. It was therapeutic for me, and I could always find someone in the audience who had tears in their eyes, and to know I was having that impact helped me get through a lot of my own issues. Even today, 17 years later, I still see the impact my words have."
Erin Celebre, President of MADD Nipissing says the statistics relating to deaths due to impaired driving are alarming.
"In Canada we lose approximately four people a day. That's four people a day who are dying as the result of an impaired related crash, and there are approximately 200 others who are otherwise affected," said Celebre.
"My hope is that we're reaching this community of students, as well as their families because they'll go home and they'll talk about it and it will have a ripple effect. The reality is we still have impaired drivers not just in North Bay and area but across Canada, and every time we do one of these events, we need to show the importance of being sober when you're behind the wheel."
The students were told it is just as important not to climb into a vehicle, becoming the passenger of an impaired driver.
North Bay Mayor Al McDonald challenged the students, to sign a pledge that they have zero percent alcohol in their system when behind the wheel, to avoid ending up in a jail cell or coffin.
The students also heard from First Responders who take home with them, the image of a collision, often times fatal, involving drunk drivers
Police reminded students that with the new marijuana legislation coming in, now more than ever, it's time for people to be vigilant. They pointed out that while police can't be everywhere, they can be anywhere. They depend on people to make smart decisions, and to let them know when something is going on so they can take action.
MADD Nipissing chapter is asking residents to show their commitment to sober driving year round, especially during the holiday season, by tying a red ribbon to their vehicles, key chains, purses, briefcases, and backpacks.
Now in its 30th year, the red ribbon symbolizes the innocent victims and survivors of impaired driving.
