Last September, Brandon Thomas bought the car of his dreams. It was then that he began planning a camping trip with his close friends. Those plans changed on Dec. 6 when an alleged impaired driver killed Thomas in a car crash.
But to honour of the teen’s memory, the road trip is back on. The Cruze for Jr. 2013 is set to run July 2-9, stretching from Cochrane to Penticton, B.C. and back.
Spearheaded by Thomas’ close friend, Ben Carew, the Cruze will serve as a way of remembering the 17-year-old’s legacy, as well as to raise awareness to the long-lasting effects of impaired driving.
“This is a way of remembering what he loved to do — he loved to drive,” said Kim Thomas, Brandon’s mother. “He just got his dream car, a Subaru Impreza, in September.”
The Cruze will take off July 2 from Mitford Park. Between 11 a.m. and noon, guest speakers and participants will be on hand. Representatives from Families For Justice, a group petitioning for harsher impaired driving penalties, will be on hand to bring awareness to the cause and the life-changing impacts of drunk driving.
Throughout the road trip, Cruzers will be collecting signatures for Families for Justice. There are planned stops in Revelstoke, Kelowna, Merritt, Chilliwack, Surrey, Hope and Penticton.
Kayla Thomas, Brandon’s sister, said the group hopes to collect about 25,000 signatures along the way.
Currently, Families for Justice has more than 30,000 signatures on the petition.
“Many of these impaired drivers are getting off with less than a year,” said Kim. “We have to live the rest of our lives without Brandon.”
The beginning of June marked six months since Brandon has been gone, and Kim said that she and Kayla haven’t even begun to heal.
“Our life stopped the day the police showed up on our doorstep,” said Kim. “There’s the horror of waking up every day. I still expect him to come home, or to hear his car pulling up… I can’t even describe the rest of my life. I’m just so thankful I have Kayla with me.”
While Kayla is the older sibling, she said Brandon was a lot like an older brother to her — always protecting and looking out her.
“I’ve felt very, very alone through this whole thing,” she said. “My friends have been great — but they aren’t Brandon.”
“I’m just trying to pull as many positives out of this as I can,” she continued, adding she has begun doing a few public speaking engagements.
Both Kayla and Kim will be travelling with the Cruze for Jr. 2013; a road trip both said will be an emotional journey.
“It’s going to be very hard for me to not see him there or not see his car there,” said Kim. “But I’m honoured that this event has been put together. So many people have taken time out of their lives to remember Brandon. It’s a double-edged sword.
“It is hard,” continued Kayla, adding that her brother would be so happy with the event. “I’m looking forward to the trip and I’m looking forward to doing something he wanted to do.”
So far, 74 people have signed up to participate in the event — many of them teenagers or young adults. Donations to the ATB Financial account under the Brandon Thomas Trust Fund would be welcomed to cover some of the costs of travel and fuel.
