Foundation Accomplishments

October 29th 1999, a drunk driver killed 13-year-old Katie DeCubellis and her friend’s mother Marsha Bowman. The KDMF continues their legacy by promoting youth leadership, supporting education, and generating public awareness of the dangers of drunk driving and substance abuse.

Narragansett, Rhode Island – The family of Katie DeCubellis has turned their private pain into a public crusade to help put an end to driving while under the influence. The mission of the Katie DeCubellis Memorial Foundation is to raise awareness about the dangers of drunk driving.

“Losing a child is a parent’s worst nightmare, but after Katie’s death, Meg and I were committed to keeping her spirit and legacy alive and to do whatever we could to hopefully spare other parents from suffering similar tragedies,” says John DeCubellis.  “Since 1999 The KDMF has provided us the opportunity to do that. We have had a great deal of help along the way and remain forever grateful to and proud of all of our board members and supporters who continue to help the KDMF to make a difference!”

KDMF Accomplishments:

• Awarded over $300,000 in scholarships, prizes and donations
• Donated $50,000 to the Narragansett Library, dedicating the children’s room in Katie’s honor in an effort to support education and the services the library provides to the community.
• The KDMF has pledged $100,000 to support construction of the Student-Athlete Development Center at the University of Rhode Island.  The grant will specifically support establishment of the Academic Advising & Counseling Center, one of three components of the Center that will support the various facets of the KDMF mission and objectives.
• The KDMF fought to lower the blood alcohol driving limit to .08 in Rhode Island.
• The KDMF hosts an annual creative writing contest.  In 2012, Rhode Island Native and New York Times best selling author Ann Hood volunteered as a celebrity judge.  Past judges include acclaimed author and Rhode Island College professor Thomas Cobb, most recognized for the movie based on his book “Crazy Heart”.
• The KDMF is committed to release a series of Public Service announcements in 2012.
• KDMF developed an award-winning video collection entitled “The Deadly Consequences of Drunk Driving” that continues to grow nationally and has been made available to schools, libraries, community groups and law enforcement agencies.  It has been used as a mandatory part of the curriculum for all Rhode Island Driver’s Education classes.
• In addition to the video, Meg and John DeCubellis continue visiting schools around the country, speaking to students about the dangers of drunk driving. Together, they have addressed over 100,000 middle school, high school and college students, and parents, law enforcement officers and military personnel throughout the country.
• The Katie DeCubellis Memorial Foundation has completed the Garden of Hope project in Narragansett.

Meg and John DeCubellis are always available for media interviews. Contact – Laura Clarizio (617) 852-7784 or lauraclarizio@aol.com

In a quiet corner of Christofaro Park, away from the tennis courts and basketball courts, the Garden of Hope & Remembrance is being constructed. Volunteers have been instrumental in constructing the foundation, a sitting wall, and plantings. The garden will feature boxwoods, azaleas, hydrangeas, and many beds with flowers that have been selected for blooms throughout the seasons. A sculpture is also planned for the garden as. Katie was an artist, and the family hopes some of Narragansett’s young artists will provide some ideas and/or proposals.

So far, all of the labor and materials have been donated, but to complete the park. The Foundation can’t expect the unlimited support to continue, however. So, it’s selling bricks to go on the facing of the sitting wall and on a path leading to the garden’s more formal section. The bricks are $50 each and contain up to three lines of text, with a maximum of 14 characters per line, including spaces.

If you would like to help by purchasing a brick, click here for more information.