Cossolotto Salutes “I Promise” Video and Anti-Drunk Driving Campaign Honoring Anthony McColl

April 20, 2011 - PRLog -- Matthew Cossolotto, creator of Make A Promise Day (May 4th – May The Fourth Be With You!), today called attention to a moving “I Promise” video and anti-drunk driving campaign in honor of Anthony (Tony) McColl.  McColl was killed on April 16th by a drunk driver on Highway 148 near Luskville, Quebec (Canada).

“This ‘I Promise’ video tribute and the ‘Tony’s Promise’ campaign offer vivid testimony to the power of making a promise,” Cossolotto said.  “It’s an inspiring, healing, heart-centered power that can help turn a terrible tragedy into a positive campaign to save lives and restore hope.  I salute Tony’s friends for this heartfelt ‘I Promise’ initiative.  Those two words truly are magic words.  Publicly declaring ‘I Promise’ makes a world of difference.  I also want to express my deep condolences to Tony’s family and friends on their terrible loss.”

Tony’s friends created the powerful video and posted it on YouTube (see below).  The message on YouTube describing the video reads:

“A video made in tribute to Anthony McColl who’s innocent life was taken by a man driving under the influence who crashed head on into his car in the early hours of April 16th, 2011. In his memory, we would ask for you to join our facebook group ‘Tony’s Promise’ and pledge to never drive or let another person get behind the while whilst under the influence.”

A photo of Tony McColl as part of a makeshift memorial near the scene of the accident.
Click on the link below to watch the moving “I Promise” tribute to Tony McColl.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzGhT5hweNM



The “Tony’s Promise” Facebook group http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_205770589445576 has already attracted over 3,200 members in just a few days.  Here’s how the group is described:

“Tony’s Promise is a basic agreement that if you join this group, you will never allow a friend to drink and drive again. Too many of us watched it happen and shrugged it off, saying that they’d make it home fine. Hopefully a group like this would prevent any further avoidable accidents. No one needs to die like Anthony did.

Every promise made to Tony also goes out to each and every person who’s been affected by drinking and driving. Every kid, brother, sister, aunt, uncle, mother, father is encouraged to post the name of their loved ones who’ve been killed by impaired driving, and even make them their own promise page.”

Cossolotto knows about the power of making a promise from personal experience. He made a promise to his mother on her deathbed that he would finish writing a book he had been discussing with her, get it published, and dedicate it to her memory. The resulting book, complete with Cossolotto’s dedication to his mother, is HabitForce!

Motivated by that firsthand experience, Cossolotto launched the first annual “Make A Promise Day” last May 4th as part of his ongoing mission to share the power of making a promise with millions of people around the world. He’s writing a book about the power of making a promise with a foreword by Jack Canfield, co-creator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. The book includes stories about people who have made and kept important promises in their lives.

To underscore the power of making a promise, Cossolotto cites several high-profile examples:
•   Oprah Winfrey made a promise to Nelson Mandela that she would build a school for girls in South Africa.
•   Entertainer Danny Thomas made a promise to build a shrine to St. Jude.  That promise led to the establishment of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
•   Nancy Brinker, author of Promise Me and founder of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, promised her sister and breast cancer victim Suzy that she would help find a cure.
•   Before his daughter’s wedding, former president Bill Clinton made a promise to Chelsea that he would watch his diet and take care of his health.

Cossolotto launched “Make A Promise Network” on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Make-A-Promise-Network/1836...) and invites people from around the world to join the network and post stories and videos of their promises made and kept.  He also invites people to submit short summaries of their true promise stories for possible inclusion in forthcoming books, presentations, and interviews. Send a few sentences describing your promise to: Matthew.Promises@Gmail.com.

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About Matthew Cossolotto: Creator of “Make A Promise Day” (May 4th), Matthew Cossolotto (aka “The Podium Pro”) is an author, guest speaker, CEO-level speechwriter, and speech coach. A former aide to House Speaker Jim Wright and Congressman Leon Panetta, Matthew also served as a CEO speechwriter at MCI, Pepsi-Cola International, and GTE. The author of HabitForce! and All The World’s A Podium, he’s working on a new book with a foreword by Jack Canfield about the power of making a promise. Matthew brings his Personal Empowerment Programs — “PEPTalks”– to colleges, associations, and corporations. Visit http://www.ThePodiumPro.com; http://www.MakeAPromiseDay.com; http://www.MakeAPromiseDay.wordpress.com; Follow Matthew and “Make A Promise Day” on Twitter: http://www.Twitter.com/MakeAPromiseDay. “Make A Promise Day” greeting cards and other gift items are available for convenient online purchase by visiting Matthew’s Zazzle store: www.Zazzle.com/TheCoz.