Angela Canzani's father was murdered two years ago. Unfortunately, the way he died is seen all too commonly: Vincent Canzani was killed in a drunk driving accident.
According to the Center for Disease Control, "Every day, almost 30 people in the United States die in motor vehicle crashes that involve an alcohol-impaired driver. This amounts to one death every 51 minutes. The annual cost of alcohol-related crashes totals more than $59 billion."
Drunk driving and even texting while driving has killed too many people. Though on the surface Vincent may have been another statistic, when we look closer, it's clear how much of a beloved father he was.
While the incidences of drunk driving deaths are high, we must remember that each person killed leaves behind a family, friends and a community.
Resolved to never let this happen again, or to at least do her part, Angela honored her father by making a small gesture outside of a bar.
She and her friend Alex Sheen held up a sign offering free rides to those who were drinking that night. She wanted them to get home safely.
They then documented their act of kindness.
See what happened below and SHARE if you think this is a great way to honor a beloved father lost in tragedy.
On the second anniversary of her father's death, Angela Canzani decided to honor him with this special sign. Her dad, Vincent, was killed by a drunk driver.
“If you have been DRINKING tonight, I’d like to offer you a free ride home. Two years ago this week, a man was drinking and driving and killed my father. In honor of his memory, I’d like to help keep the roads safe tonight.”
"People just read the sign. A lot of them said it was, 'too long [so they] didn't read,' they just laughed and walked along. They didn’t mean any harm by it. Those who actually read it often had questions," her friend, Alex Sheen, who was there, wrote.
"Some people didn’t know what to say."
"The cops didn’t bother her. Just a head nod of approval."
The first person who took the ride was just 18 years old. "A guy asked us to get his (very drunk) brother home. We didn’t know his age until we were already on the way. He lived with his parents in an extremely wealthy neighborhood about 25 minutes from the bar. Angela made sure he got into his house OK. "
The second rider was even more enthusiastic.
"Some people just wanted to give her a hug. [Because] If you've lost someone you love, you get it."
"These were our last passengers. Carissa’s family had been affected by addiction. She said that someone in her family could have easily killed someone while drunk driving and was lucky that they never did. Carissa actually attended a funeral that morning."
Lastly, Angela and her friend asked the passengers to make a promise to do more positive things on behalf of the Because I Said So project.
SHARE if you're glad Angela turned her tragedy into something positive for herself and others!
