The holiday season is a time full of cheer but for Rosemary Werner it’s also a time when she reflects on an accident that left her sister in the hospital for months.
“My sister was hit by a drunk driver years ago and she spent 7 months in the hospital," said Werner.
Her sister was involved in that accident nearly 15 years ago this December.
“She is good, but she carries the scars of the injuries that she received,” said Werner.
This time looking back on her sister's accident, Werner thought it was time to take action.
She decided to launch the Red Ribbon Campaign for Safety which is similar to a Mother’s Against Drunk Driving campaign launched decades ago.
"We're over 4,000 ribbons and going,” said Werner.
U.S. & World
When you see the ribbon either on the outside or inside of a car she hopes you'll think of these two things.
"It's to be focused and to drive safely,” said Werner.
She certainly didn’t make nearly 4,000 ribbons herself. It was the Amesbury community that made her vision a reality.
Amesbury High School, Amesbury Police, Coastal Connections and the Aging Senior Center all played a part in launching the campaign.
"I'd say we probably had 30 adults and kids tying ribbons,” said Gregg Brown a teacher at Amesbury High School. “It was collaborative and a nice community effort."
Brown teaches vocational mathematics at the high school and saw the campaign as an opportunity for his students to get involved in the community.
“If you have them all around town it will be a good thing so everyone knows not to be on the phone,” said Alex Sargent, a senior at Amesbury High School.
“The ribbons are for safety,” said Alexis Blake, a junior at Amesbury High School. “Drive safely.”
Coastal Connections is a non-profit organization that develops programs for people with disabilities. The organization focuses on helping them live full lives and give back to the community. Many of the people part of Coastal Connections helped measure, tie and count the ribbons.
Officer Tom Hanshaw said campaigns, like the red ribbon campaign, are just one way to make the roads safer.
"This year Massachusetts was rated number one for young drivers safety, so that in combination with the education, enforcement and the new laws in place have saved a lot of lives,” said Hanshaw.
The red ribbons will be available the Amesbury High School, the public library and other public places throughout the town starting Thursday, December 1.
