ACHO DENE KOE/FORT LIARD - A mother's personal experience with the consequences of drunk driving was the force behind the first Project Red Ribbon campaign in Fort Liard.

Numerous vehicles in Fort Liard are sporting ribbons following a Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) Project Red Ribbon check stop on Dec. 29. - photo courtesy of Eric Latwaitis

On Dec. 29, Melanie Louie, Gilbert Capot-Blanc and their children Danielle and Sherina Capot-Blanc along with Cpl. Wanita

Minty and Const. Eric Latwaitis held a red ribbon check stop on the hamlet's main street.

Approximately 25 vehicles were stopped and every driver agreed to have a ribbon tied to their vehicle.

Melanie approached the RCMP to help run the check stop as a way to honour the memory of her daughter. Bonnie Louie turned 18 on Oct. 6, 2007 and was dead just seven days later, following a vehicle accident in British Columbia where alcohol was involved.

Melanie, who refers to herself as a "MADD mom" has wanted to hold a red ribbon event for a while. Project Red Ribbon is a campaign by Mothers Against Drunk Driving Canada (MADD) that uses red ribbons as a visible reminder of the message that deaths and injuries resulting from impaired driving are needless tragedies and totally preventable.

"I've kind of come to terms with how my daughter died," she said.

Melanie said that in the aftermath of the accident she needed to join hands with people who oppose drunk driving. The drivers who were stopped at the check stop were good about having ribbons tied on and many are still in place, she said.

Because of the temperature, which dropped close to -30 C that day, few drivers were out.

Melanie hopes to follow up with another check stop in February to raise more awareness. She'd also like to make this an annual event in the hamlet.

Cpl. Wanita Minty said the local RCMP detachment was enthusiastic about helping Melanie run a check stop.

"We just wanted to get the message out over the holidays to be safe," Minty said.

"If we could get no drinking and driving that would be our goal."

Most Fort Liard residents are responsible, but there have been charges and convictions for impaired driving in the hamlet, said Minty. During the event, the RCMP stopped the vehicles and talked to the drivers before Melanie or one of her family members asked about the ribbon.

"Everyone was really happy to see us out," Minty said.

The drivers said they were definitely in support of the MADD campaign, she said.

Melanie, who is the hamlet's income support worker and social housing administrator, said she has the same message for drivers about impaired driving as any other mother or concerned adult would have.

"It affects everybody, anything can happen in a heartbeat," she said.

"Don't take the chance, there's too much at risk."

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