Leave a light on tonight with “Light Up Mariah” in memory of lost loved ones

It was 18 years ago this evening that the lives of the McCarthy Family were changed forever when their beloved 14-year-old daughter and sister, Mariah, was killed by an impaired driver while walking home with friends near the Butte Country Club.  It was also 18 years ago that Leo McCarthy vowed that this unimaginable tragedy would not go without response.  His response was incredible.  Rather than letting anger take over, Leo decided to change lives and Butte's tolerance of drunk driving and underage drinking. 18 years later, Leo's mission is stronger than ever lives on.

"You try to make it understandable and it isn't understandable", Leo said, "but you try to make a good out of a bad.  That's what I and many other people, like Bob Bennie, got together and decided to make something good out of it.  My idea was trying to bring a spotlight on the drunk driving society we have here and on underage drinking."  Leo's response was the creation of Mariah's Challenge, an initiative which has so far awarded $500,000 in college scholarships to 500 "Mariah's Messengers" who pledged to abstain from drinking while they are high school students.  The challenge is extended to adults who pledge to never get behind the wheel while impaired.  The list grows larger every year.

Tonight, the McCarthy Family and Mariah's Challenge ask for your support simply by leaving a porch light on in memory of Mariah and loved ones that you have lost.  Further support can be given by snapping a picture and posting it to social media with the hashtag #LightUpMariah.

Leo also challenges us to take advantage of the time that we still have with loved ones through family dinners and gatherings and by staying active with your loved ones.  "Make sure that you don't just look at old videos and old pictures," he said, " That's what Mariah's Challenge is all about."