Genevieve DeBellis
News Reporter

In April 2004, Louise Russo was standing in a sandwich shop waiting for her order, when a bullet meant for someone else changed her life forever.
Last week she was in her wheelchair at Humber speaking on behalf of her organization, WAVE (Walk Against Violence Everywhere), to kick off the festive RIDE (Reduce Impaired Driving Everywhere) campaign.
The mother of three, former Humber student and founder of WAVE said senseless violence can occur behind the wheel just as easily as behind the trigger of a gun.
“You can hurt yourself, you can hurt others,” she said. “The more we create this awareness, the more we educate our young people and just society in general. Hopefully we will get to the point that we can one day not have to have a RIDE program.”
Russo was presented with a laptop to help her foundation.
She said RIDE and WAVE both speak up for the importance of making the right decision.
“What we want to do is we both would like the youth to make choices and take responsibility for their actions. It’s all about decision making, so when you get behind a vehicle and you’re intoxicated you’ve made that choice and it really does become a lethal weapon.”
RIDE originated in Etobicoke 30 years ago. It is a sobriety-testing program that intensifies for the holidays, but is used all year round.
Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) deputy commissioner John Carson said there were 444 fatalities last year on OPP-patrolled roads.
“If you put that into perspective, if you lined up the coffins end to end, 444 coffins would extend the length of ten football fields. That is simply too many funerals, too much misery and simply unacceptable,” he said.
Carolyn Swinson, national president of MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) lost her eldest son to a drunk driver and knows what it feels like to receive the horrible news that a loved one would not be coming home.
“Make your decisions before you leave; it’s too late when you’re out there. Before you go out and you’re going out partying, think how you’re going to get home, because you do not want that knock on the door,” Swinson said.
RIDE was launched on Friday, Dec. 1 at Humber’s North Campus, with officers from across the GTA combining forces.
Humber president John Davies was more than happy to have the event take place at the school. “We’re delighted to help the cause,” he said. “The simple message don’t drink and drive is a very important message to keep in front of all of our community, all of the time.”
“We’re an educational institution and this is an educational issue so where better to have it than Humber,” he said.
Ron Taverner, superintendent of 23 Division, said that during the festive RIDE the number of officers on the street will be increased.
“Each person we take off the street that’s impaired, makes it safer for all of us,” Taverner said. “Impaired driving affects everyone.”