Community Stories

Red Ribbon Project campaign kicks off in Red Deer

November 05, 2021

Red Deer Emergency Services and the Red Deer RCMP were honored to join MADD Canada at the kick off event for the Project Red Ribbon campaign this week.

Project Red Ribbon is an annual campaign that raises awareness and promotes sober driving during the holiday season. To officially launch this year’s campaign, Brenda Brown spoke about losing her daughter Chloe in 2014. Brenda and Chloe were returning home from a Christmas shopping trip when they were hit by an impaired driver. Chloe died instantly, leaving behind two young sons, her husband, and many more heartbroken family members. Brenda was pinned inside the wreckage for three hours, her beloved daughter just out of her reach.

Platoon Chief Kevin Bettesworth and Sgt. Mike Zufferli spoke at the event from the perspective of first responders. Each spoke about the impact it has on the families, the community and the emergency responders who are first to the scene.

“We see the huge impact it has on the community, and we feel the senselessness of the tragedy,” says Platoon Chief Bettesworth.

“The Red Deer RCMP’s hope is that through partnership, education and enforcement, we can prevent impaired individuals from operation a motor vehicle,” says Sgt. Zufferli

MADD Canada volunteers will be distributing thousands of red ribbons to the public to use as a symbol of their commitment to sober driving from Nov. 1, 2021 to Jan. 3, 2022. The ribbons also serve as powerful tribute to the hundreds of Canadians killed and thousands injured in crashes involving impaired drivers each year.

For more information about how you can take part in the MADD red ribbon campaign, visit www.madd.ca or email info@madd.ca.