Goldstream News Gazette, May 07, 2014

Page 1

Safety first

Emergency Preparedness Fair gathers responders Page A3

NEWS: Detention centre closure will be felt here /A4 ARTS: Colwood kids’ art shown in the big city /A15 SPORTS: Belmont kicks off golf season /A16

GOLDSTREAM

NEWS GAZETTE

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

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Grieving parent’s perspective hits home for Belmont students 2014 grads shaken by dad’s impassioned presentation Don Descoteau News staff

Don Denton/News staff

Heads up Stelly’s player Alynn Dagg, left, and Belmont’s Katie Rufh attempt to get a head on the ball during Ryan Cup soccer semifinal action Thursday at the University of Victoria. Stelly’s won 3-2 in a shootout. The teams tied 1-1 in regulation play and 2-2 through overtime. League champion Belmont enters the Island AAA championships, May 13-14 in Nanaimo, as the top seed from the south Island.

Tears flow down young cheeks and sleeves mop damp eyes as Greg Drew pounds home his point about the consequences of making bad decisions. The gruff retired firefighter from Fort Langley is pacing back and forth on the hardwood gym floor at Belmont secondary. Every clomp from his well-worn cowboy boots works to rivet the attention of the Grade 12s gathered in the stands. It’s his first ICBC-sponsored presentation to a grad class on Vancouver Island, almost 11 years to the day after his son, Jason, died from injuries suffered in a high-speed, singlevehicle car wreck near the suburban Lower Mainland town. “Do you know what it’s like to hold your son’s hand as his heart beats its last beat?” he bellows, his words reverberating through the high-ceilinged room. Drew tells the shocked teens how horrible that felt and the guilt he felt at not being able to help his younger son. Then, as if his impassioned speech wasn’t enough about the consequences of such bad decisions as drinking and driving, or, in his son’s case, driving way too fast back home to get that case of beer his older brother bought him – yet another bad choice, Drew says – he pulls out the trump card. After imploring the students to get a dialogue going with their parents, hug them and their sib-

Don Descoteau/News staff

Greg Drew, whose younger son died as a result of a highspeed crash in 2003, stands next to his wrecked vehicle at Belmont secondary. Drew spoke to Grade 12 students as part of an ICBC pre-grad safe driving presentation. lings and be grateful for what they have, he laments not being able to hug “Jay” anymore. As he calmly says he still talks to him, Drew reaches into a bag behind him, pulls out a solid black box and introduces his late son’s cremated remains to the dumbstruck crowd. Once finished he receives a heartfelt standing ovation and there are lots more tears to go around, as well as a handful of hugs for the still-grieving dad from random students.

“That hit home more than other presentations we’ve had,” says student Kiana Pomponio, clearly shaken by Drew’s words and descriptions of the heartbreak felt by family and friends of the victims of preventable car crashes. “His personal stories really got to people. I think he touched more than the ‘one person’ he hoped to influence with his talk.”

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PlEASE SEE: Impact of crash, Page A4


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