Last week marked five years since 17-year-old Cochranite Brandon Thomas was killed by a drunk driver – a solemn anniversary for friends and family, who honoured his memory and legacy on the evening of Dec. 6.
“Time is really difficult now – it’s hard to explain unless you’re in that situation,” said his bereaved mother, Kim Thomas, who hosted the annual “Angelversary” for her late son at her Cochrane home.
“On Dec. 6 it felt like it just happened and then two minutes later it’s like (wow) it’s been five years since it happened,” said Kim. “Time doesn’t heal.”
The event drew a couple dozen supporters of the family who cast lanterns into the skies above the West Valley cul-de-sac where they gathered, followed by those who knew Brandon in life and those only in legacy, swapping stories around the firepit and lighting candles in his name.
Tony Aguilar and his family did not know Brandon, but have grown close to Kim and her daughter, Kayla, in the years since their annual Show Your Ride For Brandon show and shine events – which raises thousands annually for surviving, grieving families and for scholarships for budding mechanics who share Brandon’s passion for vehicles and pursuits of a higher education.
“I never got to meet Brandon, but I feel a strong connection to him,” said Aguilar as he helped his six-year-old daughter, Aurora, launch a lantern into the sky. “Even though he’s not here, he’s still changing people’s lives for the better.”
The Dec. 6 event serves as a sombre reminder of the consequences of drunk driving, coinciding with the annual Checkstop ramp-up for the duration of the Christmas season.
It also coincides with the Worldwide Candle Lighting Day, which was held on Dec. 10. The international day, which calls participants to light a candle at 7 p.m. for one hour, honours the children around the globe whose lives were cut short for various reasons.
It’s also crunch time for survivors seeking change, who are gathering signatures through an online petition until Feb. 20, 2018 to call upon the Minister of Justice “to introduce minimum penalties for impaired driving offences and sentences proportionate to the gravity of the offence for impaired driving causing death.”
The petition can be found online as “E-1327” and the Thomas family is encouraging everyone, including those who have signed the print petition, to take a moment of their time to click their support.
The loss of Brandon - a Cochrane High School student, vehicle enthusiast and aspiring mechanic – has prompted his mother and sister, Kayla, to push forward to create change in his honour.
The mother-daughter team, with the help of friends and sponsors, continue to grow their annual show and shine event – with some 759 entries last year and more than $20,000 going back to the greater community through the SAIT and Cochrane High School scholarships named after Brandon, Cochrane-based Enny Autism, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, and the Show Your Ride For Brandon victim’s fund.
“I’m glad we have so many people who come out and support us year after year,” said Kayla. “He lives on through every one of these people.”
