Robyn Grebliunas is a face that most Merrittonians have come to know, with her work with the Walk of Stars in the past few years.

Many don't know that Grebliunas also plays a big role in many of the anti-drinking and driving efforts in the community.

In May, Grebliunas was honoured with the title of community leader of the Merritt branch of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD).

"Our chapters and community leaders undertake a diverse range of activities within their communities to help achieve MADD Canada's mission of stopping impaired driving and supporting the victims of this violent crime," said MADD Canada national president Denise Dubyk. "They truly are the heart and soul of our organization. We are proud to welcome Robyn to our amazing and dedicated volunteer team."

Through her volunteer work, many programs have been introduced throughout the community, such as the brown bag program, educational programming at the high school, and MADD's 911 Red Ribbon project.

The Red Ribbon project is a nation-wide effort that aims to both encourage and empower the public to report impaired driving by calling 911. Red MADD ribbons can be purchased by donation and tied onto your car radio antenna, licence plate, or keys to show support and solidarity amongst supporters of the cause.

Much like the Red Ribbon project, the Brown Bag program has been very successful in the community. Grebliunas, in partnership with the local school district, B.C. Liquor store, and community policing office, launched the program last Christmas with great success. The program aims to help keep both youth and adults safe during the holidays, as it can be a time of high-risk activities.

As community leader, Grebliunas plans on furthering community awareness through multiple projects within the next year, such as a presentation to be put on at Merritt Secondary School in the fall.

"I believe that our youth can help be the voice of change in our community," comments Grebliunas. "We received some amazing messages from local youth through the brown bag program last year."

In 2010, Grebliunas and her family experienced first hand what it was like to be affected by the aftermath of impaired driving, when her spouse was seriously injured due to a vehicle accident caused by a re-offending impaired driver.

Every year in Canada over 1,500 citizens are killed due to impaired driving. Mothers Against Drunk Driving aims to inform the public, support victims, and prevent further accidents from occurring.

For information on how to get involved with MADD, contact Robyn Grebliunas at 250-315-5851 or visit MADD Canada's website www.madd.ca.