On Tuesday, September 9th, Safety Council Manager Dessie Buchanan and Roger Blackburn, Fayette County Chamber of Commerce, presented a donation of $1,000.00 from the HFC Safety Council to the Maria Tiberi Foundation. 

The Foundation was created by Dom Tiberi, Columbus sportscaster, following the fatal crash of his 21 year old daughter, Maria, in September 2013. The goal of the Foundation is to bring the dangerous issue of distracted driving to the forefront, specifically targeted to new drivers as "11% of all drivers under the age of 20 involved in fatal crashes were reported as distracted at the time of the crash." (Source)

The donation from the Safety Council will assist the Foundation to purchase distracted driving simulator machines to help raise awareness among drivers as to the dangers and challenges of distracted driving. The simulators will be available for participants to use so more people can get a first hand understanding of the dangers of distracted driving.

For more information on "Maria's Message," visit http://www.mariatiberifoundation.org/