Lansing - As Maria Ptacin listened to Barbara Workman share the story of her husband's death, she remembered just five years ago when she too shared her loss.
In February 1997, Ptacin's 14-year-old son was killed by a drunken driver. Later that year, she spoke at Mothers Against Drunk Driving's annual Red Ribbon Campaign Kickoff about how someone's bad choice changed the "colors" in her life forever.
She said she will always remember green because that was the color of her son's football uniform. To Ptacin, red now symbolizes unnecessary blood loss and blue is the color the sky used to be - before her son's death.
"Unless you are a victim, it is very hard to understand why it is such a big deal for us to change someone else's life," the Battle Creek resident said, while standing in the Capitol Rotunda. "You just come here and get angry and sad. It regenerates our efforts of awareness."
Now, Ptacin makes a pilgrimage to MADD's campaign kick off to reaffirm her commitment to end drinking and driving. On Monday, the 16th annual event, titled "Tie One On For Safety," brought in 60 people who were called to "get mad again" and raise public awareness of drinking and driving.
The campaign, which continues through New Year's Day, promotes holiday safety and sober driving. The opening ceremony at the Capitol was followed by a motorcade to Meridian Mall where there was a memorial tree dedication for all of those killed or injured by a drunken driver.
"It is such an unnecessary thing to have happen," Ptacin said. "People want to put what happened to them in the past and forget it, but you can't."
Of 1,206 fatal crashes last year in Michigan, 458 involved alcohol or drugs, according to Michigan's Criminal Justice Information Center.
MSU women's basketball coach Joanne P. McCallie served as the campaign's honorary chairperson. McCallie shared with MADD supporters her team philosophy on choice not chance.
"We can't change the past, but we can change the present and future and make things happen," McCallie said.
Workman's husband was killed five-years-ago by a 21-year-old driver, who had a .08 blood alcohol level. Workman, of Clinton Township, is a mother of eight.
The driver, returning from Windsor, Canada, was later sentenced to one year in jail.
MADD is currently lobbying to change the legal blood-alcohol-level from .08 to .10.
