Grieving father offers teens money not to drink

[Hum]

Butte, Montana (CNN) -- Five years ago, Leo McCarthy lost his 14-year-old daughter, Mariah, when a drunken driver hit her and two of her friends as they walked down a sidewalk near her home.

But he refused to let her tragic death become just another statistic.

Knowing that the driver was 20 years old -- not even old enough to drink legally -- McCarthy made an unusual promise to the teenagers attending Mariah's memorial service in Butte, Montana.

"If you stick with me for four years," he said during her eulogy, "don't use alcohol, don't use illicit drugs but give back to your community, work with your parents and talk to your parents, I'll be there with a bunch of other people to give you money."

McCarthy has lived up to his end of the bargain. Along with Jimm Kilmer and Chad Okrusch, the fathers of Mariah's two friends who survived the accident, McCarthy has given $1,000 scholarships to more than 140 high-school graduates who have taken Mariah's Challenge.

"I wanted to give them encouragement and to tell them that ... you can be better and always be greater in the situation," said McCarthy, whose nonprofit raises the money through private donations.

Mariah's Challenge is simple. Teens can go online and sign a pledge to not drink until they are 21 and not get into a car with someone who has been drinking. Toward the end of their senior year, if they have not been convicted of underage possession of alcohol, they are eligible to submit a scholarship application, which includes a 300-word essay explaining how Mariah's Challenge has affected their life.

Recipients are selected by McCarthy, Kilmer and Okrusch based on the essay and an interview.

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The sentiment is great, and I'm glad the father is using a constructive outlet for his grief rather than a destructive one. But how can they possibly verify whether or not these kids did not in fact ever use drugs or alcohol within the 4 year period? "not being convicted of underage usage" isn't really a good measure.

[Japlabot]

So nothing really stopping the kids from drinking (without getting caught, which is unlikely to happen anyway) and then milking the man for all the money he has. Great plan.

[ozgeek]

20 years old -- not even old enough to drink legally

lol what? Then what is the legal age to define an adult from a teenager?

[Stetson]

lol what? Then what is the legal age to define an adult from a teenager?

In the US you're an adult at 18 but can't legally buy/drink alcohol until 21.

[Wickedkitten Veteran]

In the US you're an adult at 18 but can't legally buy/drink alcohol until 21.

Which is utterly ridiculous. You are old enough to get married or go to war and kill a man, but not old enough to buy a beer.

[Nick H. Supervisor]

The sentiment is great, and I'm glad the father is using a constructive outlet for his grief rather than a destructive one. But how can they possibly verify whether or not these kids did not in fact ever use drugs or alcohol within the 4 year period? "not being convicted of underage usage" isn't really a good measure.

Agreed. I admire the man for finding something constructive from the heartache, but there is no measure (at least, from the article) to make sure.

lol what? Then what is the legal age to define an adult from a teenager?

21 in the US for drinking, 16 to drive...

Which is utterly ridiculous. You are old enough to get married or go to war and kill a man, but not old enough to buy a beer.

Yup. It makes no sense. "We trust you enough with a weapon but you can't drink yet." Another U.S. law that seems completely backwards. Not that other countries don't have their own ridiculous laws, but given the age of this law, one has to wonder which nutjob thought that made sense. In fairness, it was probably 2 fools, one for each law.

[rfirth]

Which is utterly ridiculous. You are old enough to get married or go to war and kill a man, but not old enough to buy a beer.

At 18, you're also old enough to go to war and kill a man for your country, but not legally old enough to run for president.

...

Incidentally, at 34 you're too old to be accepted into military service (by most branches... you might just scrape by) to go to war and kill a man, and still not old enough to be president.

[Nick H. Supervisor]

Incidentally, at 34 you're...still not old enough to be president.

Seriously?! Good lord...

[Hum]

^ 35 is the legal age for President.

[Growled Member]

Which is utterly ridiculous. You are old enough to get married or go to war and kill a man, but not old enough to buy a beer.

Pretty much. Sort of dumb isn't it?

[Original Poster]

The sentiment is great, and I'm glad the father is using a constructive outlet for his grief rather than a destructive one. But how can they possibly verify whether or not these kids did not in fact ever use drugs or alcohol within the 4 year period? "not being convicted of underage usage" isn't really a good measure.

ah hair test can tell what you have had within the last 5-7 years any thing such as drugs and alcohol while urine and blood tests only have a window of a few months to as little as a few hours

[Ently]

Damn that's sad... The first thing I saw was this anti drink driving commercial and well damn that drove the point home.. not that I drink drive but more people should see it, it really puts into perspective how one stupid decision can ruin so many innocent lives.