LEAN ON ME...FOR COMMUNITY T here are people in our lives who connect with us on such a deep level that it leaves an imprint on who we are. Darcie was one of those people for anyone who
many levels. Nicole has shared her story as a victim speaker, she has created and led a Walk Like MADD event in Maine. Nicole actively supported and participated in walk events across the country and served as a leader volunteer in her resident state of North Carolina. She is now serving as a member of the MADD National Board of Directors. The love that Nicole has for her sister Darcie goes even further. For 20 years, Nicole volunteered as a soccer coach for groups of kids who played soccer at a very competitive level. Soccer is something that both Nicole and Darcie had in common. In the same way that she dedicates so much of her time to MADD, Nicole shared her love for Darcie through her coaching. Years ago, she coached a team of 9- and 10-year- olds called the Wildcats. She was a tough but fair coach that believed in hard work, team support, encouragement and taking the time to coach about more than just soccer. She made it a point to make positive and long-standing impacts on their lives. Nicole always knew that Darcie’s legacy would live on in those important messages she shared with her teams. It was clear this year, that the legacy lived on when one of those girls she had coached many years ago now
met her, and especially for her older sister Nicole Hutchinson. She was all that is sweet and sassy, bright and fun and she looked up to and loved her sister. There are lots of wonderful, funny memories of Darcie that Nicole holds dear but one in particular highlights the fact that she just loved people. Nicole remembers a time when she offered to take Darcie and a friend to lunch one day during school. Nicole sat in the car waiting for her sister and friend when an unexpected trail of 6 kids filed out and into the car to ride to McDonalds. Darcie told her sister “Well…I couldn’t pick just one right?”. That’s just who she was, someone who wanted to include everybody in the fun. When Darcie was 21, she was hit and killed by a three-time repeat drunk driver over twice the legal limit on September 13, 1996. Nicole was devastated by her sister’s death and decided she would do all that she could to make changes to prevent these awful crimes. Through the years she has honored that commitment and impacted countless lives through volunteering for MADD on
18 MADDvocate ®
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