After losing her daughter in a fatal traffic accident during a lunch-hour break at a Valley high school, a determined mother has launched a safety campaign that may soon spread to cities all across the country.

“I never thought in a million years that I’d be doing this. But losing Krystal changed all that.”

You can still hear the tone of disbelief and quiet despair in Donna Ebel’s voice as she talks about the death of her daughter, Krystal, in a traffic accident last year, and the campaign she is waging as a result. The 15-year-old and her 16-year-old friend, Shayna Linneen, were returning to Dobson High School from lunch.

A website is going up to help launch Ebel’s safety campaign, called “Drive Kind”, which she kicked off earlier this year with the introduction of purple and orange silicon bracelets, which are being sold to help raise money for the effort. The bracelets can be worn or hung from the rear-view mirror to serve as a gentle reminder to obey the rules of the road and drive with care.

The proceeds are going to help fund driver education programs and benefit high school cafeterias. Hundreds of bracelets have been sold for $3 apiece. Sports were an important part of Krystal’s life, says her mother. “Krystal had been involved in sports since she was four years old, with soccer and softball. Our whole family is so involved with sports… we’ve found that the kids and their families all became so close because of it.”

And now the high school sports community has a chance to support the Drive Kind campaign. The bracelets are a great way to remember a fellow student- athlete – and contribute to a very worthwhile cause.

For more information, check out the website at www.drivekind.com, or email drebel55@yahoo.com.