A Montana mother and daughter are taking action against drunk driving after a devastating loss changed their family forever. Their approach is simple: find cars left overnight outside bars and leave behind a small gift for the people who chose not to drive home.
Beth McBride and her daughter, Carli Seymour, began the effort after McBride’s son, Bobby Dewbre, was killed by a repeat drunk driver in March 2023. He was celebrating his 21st birthday with friends and crossing the street to meet a sober ride when he was struck and killed.
The family now leaves notes featuring Dewbre’s photograph along with $5 coffee gift cards. The messages explain what happened to him and encourage people to continue making safe choices.
Montana has a serious problem with alcohol-related deaths. State data shows that 19.5% of adults reported binge drinking within the previous month, more than four percentage points above the national average. Alcohol-related deaths also climbed from 1,563 during 2009–2013 to 2,941 between 2019 and 2023.
Seymour came up with the idea after noticing several cars covered in frost outside a bar one cold morning. Realizing the owners had likely left their vehicles overnight, she wanted to find a way to acknowledge their decision to get home safely.
At the time, she was working at a local coffee shop and suggested using gift cards to reward drivers who avoided getting behind the wheel after drinking.
The project, called the Fairies, has grown beyond the original family effort. McBride reported that 75 volunteers were participating in Montana’s Flathead Valley, with 309 people signed up. Similar initiatives have also appeared in communities across the country, including Oregon, Nevada, Mississippi, Pennsylvania, Texas, Ohio and Washington, D.C.
The family says some recipients have shared that the notes made them reconsider their behavior, with several promising to stop drinking and driving.
The issue has also prompted legislative action. In 2025, Montana lawmakers passed House Bill 267, known as Bobby’s Law, which strengthens penalties for DUI offenses that result in death.
Although no gift card can reverse the family’s loss, McBride and Seymour hope their efforts will prevent another family from experiencing the same tragedy. Their message is straightforward: finding another way home after drinking may seem inconvenient, but the consequences of making the wrong decision can be permanent.
