‘Slow Your Roll’ campaign relaunched to promote safe driving

By Lethbridge Herald on April 3, 2023.

Local singer-songwriter Cody Hall performs a song he wrote specifically for the Slow Your Roll campaign during an event on Monday at the Cavendish Farms Centre. Herald photo by Alejandra Pulido-Guzman

Alejandra Pulido-Guzman – LETHBRIDGE HERALD – apulido@lethbridgeherald.com

The YMCA of Lethbridge is helping to revitalize the #slowyourroll campaign for 2023 to promote pedestrian and children’s safety, while also raising awareness about the Charles McIntyre fund. 

The #slowyourroll campaign started in April 2020, shortly after a collision took the life of 10-year-old pedestrian Charles McIntyre. The tragic incident prompted local realtor Chris DiPasquale to begin campaigning for children and pedestrian safety by selling bright yellow lawn signs that read ‘Kids at Play,’ but due to the pandemic the campaign was paused in 2022. 

This year the McIntyre family, DiPasquale, and the YMCA of Lethbridge are partnering to relaunch the #slowyourroll campaign, which will raise funds to establish an endowment fund in Charles’s name, while promoting safe driving and encouraging people to slow down and cherish the present moment.

Charles’ parents established the Charles McIntyre Fund through the Community Foundation of Lethbridge and Southwestern Alberta with the goal of funding the YMCA of Lethbridge since it was Charles’ favourite place to spend his time. 

“The decision to relaunch the #slowyourroll campaign with the goal to raise the minimum of $10,000 required to fully established the Charles McIntyre fund so every year an annual donation from the investment proceeds of the fund can be made to the YMCA in Charles’ name for decades to come,” said Jennifer Petracek-Kolb, YMCA of Lethbridge CEO during the launch. 

During the launch, DiPasquale said he started the campaign because Charles’ death did not sit well with him and he felt like he needed to do something to prevent another family from enduring the same loss. He also shared that his first donor was his own mother, which made the campaign that much more special to him. 

After the event DiPasquali spoke to reporters and said he was happy to be able to revitalize the campaign, especially now with more help. 

“The honest truth is that without the YMCA we wouldn’t be where we are today. When the family called me and said that they were interested in getting involved I said absolutely,” said DiPasquale. 

He said now that he is about to become a parent himself, this campaign takes a whole new meaning. 

Charles’ mother, Heather McIntyre, said the first year the campaign was launched was hard for the family because they were still suffering grief, but now it makes them happy to know people are grasping the concept of slowing down. 

“It’s exciting to see the impact that it has had on our community and to see the importance of it, that other people are seeing the importance and they’re kind of grasping the message that it’s important to slow down and appreciate life,” said McIntyre. 

She said she is happy to see people understanding the concept of slowing down in life and experiencing it and to be there for their family and friends, as well as to slow down while driving and be mindful of pedestrians and kids and how that continues her son’s legacy. 

“Anything to hear his name makes us happy, so if we can hear people talk about him and say the Charles McIntyre Fund, see his pictures around the community that are going to impact people, that’s important to us. I mean, he was such an amazing kid and to not have him in this world is hard, so anytime we can connect with him is good,” said McIntyre. 

She said the YMCA was very important to Charles since he spent a lot of time there and got to know a lot of the staff. She also mentioned that just days prior to his death, Charles walked around the track just before the YMCA was closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. 

“It was always something we did together and it’s really great that they get to be a part of that too with us,” said McIntyre. 

She said her son Simon came up with the idea of making neon hoodies part of the campaign. 

“He said ‘we need to be visible when we’re walking so people can see us’, so he wanted to make sure kids had the opportunity to be seen,” said McIntyre. 

McIntyre was struck and killed by a motor vehicle April 13, 2020. An SUV turning right onto Whoop-Up Drive near Aquitania Boulevard struck two young boys crossing in the crosswalk with their father. Charles, the older of the two boys, died in hospital.

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