HOULTON, Maine — Friends and family of a Houlton High School graduate killed by a drunken driver 20 years ago will gather Saturday to mark the inaugural Aroostook County Walk Like MADD event.
For the past five years, an unofficial memorial walk has been held each spring to celebrate the life of Darcie Hutchinson, whose life was tragically cut short on Sept. 13, 1996.
Organized by Heather Campbell, those walks have been held in conjunction with others organized by Darcie’s sister Nicole Hutchinson, who lives in Raleigh, North Carolina, with all of the money raised by both annual events donated to the North Carolina chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) in Darcie Hutchinson’s memory.
This year, however, Houlton has become an official MADD walk site, the only one in the state.
The event begins at 8:30 a.m. Saturday at the Gentle Memorial Building with opening remarks by Nicole Hutchinson and by national MADD President Colleen Sheehey-Church. The 5-kilometer walk begins at 9 a.m.
“We needed to be sure the community was interested [in hosting a walk] and we had enough volunteers willing to make it happen,” Hutchinson said Tuesday morning. “As you know in Houlton, there is never a shortage of good people willing to volunteer for a worthy cause.”
Hutchinson said it took her longer than she had hoped to bring an official MADD walk to Maine.
“I had a chance at the national conference in Washington, D.C., last year to share my concerns with the new president of MADD,” she said. “During a working lunch, Colleen announced to the room that she would like to introduce everyone to her new friend. She called out my name and asked me to stand and share my Darcie story with the attendees. She proceeded to tell the room that we needed MADD in Maine and she would do whatever was needed to help make this happen.”
The timing of the event could not have been better, Hutchinson said.
“This year is the 20th anniversary of Darcie’s death, and I cannot think of a better way to celebrate her life than having the first official Walk for the State of Maine in our hometown,” she said. Both Hutchinson and her brother Jasen Hutchinson, who lives in Florida, will be returning to Houlton for the event.
All of the funds raised from the walk will remain in the state and be used to educate youths and parents about the consequences of drinking and driving as well as provide volunteer training to support the MADD mission.
Darcie Hutchinson was just 21 years old and living in Connecticut when she was killed. She graduated from Houlton High School in 1993 and Northern Maine Technical College in Presque Isle in 1995. According to Nicole Hutchinson, her sister participated in sports and band in high school.
“She had a great smile, infectious giggle and a head of curly brown hair,” Hutchinson recalled. “She was a true friend and extremely loyal. She loved country music much to my dismay, and her brother took her to her first Garth Brooks concert. She was my ‘mini me’ and took over my closet when I went away to college.”
Saturday’s walk has 12 sponsors, but Hutchinson is hoping to see that number grow next year as word spreads. As of Wednesday, 68 people had registered and raised nearly 78 percent of the $8,000 target.
“I hope that no one else will have to experience what my family has had to go through from losing Darcie to a three-time repeat offender of drinking and driving,” Hutchinson said. “I hope that I can impact one person to make the right decision to not drink and drive. I also realize that hope is not a strategy. We need to educate our youth, parents, prosecutors and law enforcement about the effects that drinking and driving has on all involved. You never think that it will happen to you. And most of all, I hope that I make Darcie proud.”
Hutchinson said not a day has gone by in the past 20 years that she has not thought about her sister.
“I miss my sister every single day,” she said. “I could dwell on being angry and missing out on all the milestones of her life that were stolen from us … her wedding, having kids, late night phone calls, birthdays, anniversaries, family gatherings. I do share some of those thoughts at walks, but I cannot let them consume me. I choose to channel that energy for good by volunteering and keeping Darcie’s memory alive through supporting MADD. I have the opportunity to help others by sharing Darcie’s story through all routes possible … speaking engagements, fundraising, education, being a victim advocate and victim impact panels.”
To donate or register for the walk, visit www.walklikemadd.org.