EDMONTON, Alberta, Feb. 05, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A roadside memorial sign honouring the memory of Thomas Spinks, who died in an alcohol-related crash on October 23, 2017, will be unveiled today by his father Tony Wentworth and MADD Edmonton & Area Chapter.
Located near the crash site on southbound Highway 2, just south of Highway 41, the sign features Thomas’ name and MADD Canada’s iconic red ribbon. The sign pays tribute to Thomas and also serves as a powerful reminder to the public about the tragic consequences of impaired driving.
Joining Mr. Wentworth and MADD Edmonton & Area Chapter for the special event will be City of Edmonton Councillor Bev Esslinger and representatives from police and Emergency Medical Services.
“My family and I cannot express adequately what this sign means to us,” said Mr. Wentworth. “We now have a lasting marker to honour Thomas at the location where he was taken from us. From the depths of our hearts, we want to thank MADD Canada and everyone involved in making this happen. It is a source of light during an awful time.”
“Roadside memorial signs are a powerful and lasting way to honour victims of impaired driving, and also deliver a compelling message to the public about what can happen when someone drives under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs,” said MADD Canada Western Region Victim Services Manager Gillian Phillips. “We want people to see this sign, to remember Thomas and to make the commitment to never drive impaired.”
MADD Canada thanks Thomas’ family for their courage, and the Government of Alberta, Alberta Transportation and the City of Edmonton for their support.
MADD Canada has collaborated with governments in other provinces, including Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, to install memorial signs for victims of impaired driving. In August 2019, MADD Canada and the Government of Alberta unveiled the province’s first roadside memorial sign, located near Calgary, for Alfred Benary, who was killed in an impairment-related crash in 2015.
For more information, contact:
Gillian Phillips, MADD Canada Victim Services Manager, at 1-866-461-4077 or gphillips@madd.ca