loss stories
Gina Maggio’s story
told by:
←Estelle Puccio
Chico State
Gina Marie Maggio was a junior at Chico State and an active member of the Alpha Phi sorority. She was a beautiful girl with blonde hair, crystal blue eyes, and an amazing personality. She came from a great Catholic family and had a ton of friends both in her hometown of San Jose and also at school. She was always the jokester and always just wanted to have fun. I will never forget her beautiful smile and contagious laugh. Gina was a close friend to me and also in my pledge class.
Every October, San Francisco hosts an event called “LovEvolution”, also known as “Love Fest”. Gina, as well as myself and many other sorority sisters, attended this event. At Love Fest and the following day, Gina consumed an overwhelming amount of drugs. She thought she was just partying and having fun with her friends. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, until it turned fatal when Gina died in her sleep the next night. A few of her closest friends found her the next morning and she just would not wake up. Not a day goes by where I don’t think about Gina and how I wish somehow, someway I could have helped her. Every single time our sorority gets together for a meeting, dance, party, movie night, or some kind of function, there is ALWAYS the thought in my head, “Gina is supposed to be here right now.”
Matt Watters’ story
told by:
←Kate Ottavio
Quinnipiac University
Matty (as we called him) and I met during my senior year of high school. He was the kid you always wanted at the parties because he was great in a crowd and wonderful to speak with one-on-one. He cared about his friends, and he was always so bright and smiley. My last memory of him was the two of us sitting outside a house on a porch after our senior prom just chatting away.
Matty died November 11, 2004 at the age of 19. He and his friend had been drinking at a bar and both of them were drunk. His friend drove home with Matt in the passenger seat. But before they got there, he drove off the road and crashed. The driver lived and Matt died. They said the driver was so drunk the police had to take him back to the bar where they were drinking to watch surveillance tapes because he couldn’t remember which friend he was with. My good friend Meredith called me while I was at college right after it happened. I just remember breaking down. My boyfriend at the time looked to me for guidance and upliftment as Matt was one of his best friends. I still can hear in my head the voicemail he left me one night; he tried to keep everything in and not get emotional, but finally he just cracked: “I’m starting to realize I’m never going to see him again.” My heart broke for him.
Kevin Watson’s story
told by:
←Holly Laing
The Ohio State University
Sniz. Snizzard. Snizzle. Several of the nicknames for our dear friend Kevin… Our friend with the “auburn” hair. Our freckled friend. Our best friend. I met Kevin in 10th grade. We met over the summer, during those sultry, two-a-day soccer practices. It was there that I got to know his slightly mischievous, yet hilarious personality. Kevin was an excellent soccer player. That summer he taught me how to slide tackle. By demonstrating on me… Ouch! Over the years, Kevin became a regular in my life. While his sense of humor was one of the greatest, he also carried genuineness that was unmatched. He comforted me as I fretted about leaving the only world I had known to enter the new world of college. But, I knew our friendship would remain. And it did.
When we were 20, we traveled home from college to celebrate Thanksgiving with our families. In the tradition of the night before Thanksgiving Day, everyone gathered at a bar for the typical reunion-like celebration. I stood near Kevin for the majority of that night. I remember him making me laugh as he tried to convince me to continue on to another party. But, I had already decided it was time for me to go home. And I never saw him again. I woke up early that Thanksgiving morning to hear the news of his death. While driving home drunk, he had driven his car into a tree. And I, along with hundreds of others, was heart-broken.
Chris Olsen’s story
told by:
←Kalen Olsen
Washington State
Chris was my older brother and you could definitely tell by the way we interacted. You could usually find him playing jokes on me. People always said Chris had a movie star smile, but behind that smile was a loyal hard working guy. Chris would go out to our grandma’s house a half hour away and help with yard work all day at the drop of a hat. He would always lend anyone a helping hand. Within our big family, Chris got along with everyone and worked toward making everyone feel included. That was the kind of guy Chris was.
At some point Chris developed a dependence on alcohol. It was very difficult to watch this consume his life as he went in and out of rehab fighting to control his addiction. This past October he went into rehab for the last time. All the nurses loved Chris and agreed that he seemed to be doing better. But, one evening he told them he had a cough and wasn’t feeling well. In the morning Chris didn’t wake up. To this day it is a mystery as to what caused his death. Chris’ passing has brought our family even closer than we already were. I’ve realized that sometimes we hold back, but I don’t think you can say I love you too many times to those around you. Chris will be forever remembered and missed.
loss
Many of us have lost a friend to alcohol or drugs in some way. Please take a moment to tell us about your relationship and what happened. If you would like to remain anonymous, we understand. However, by sharing names and pictures, we are showing others how this issue is affecting real people in real ways.
mvp
A Most Valuable Partier is someone who parties smart and steps in to help a friend who has partied too much. Share a time when you were the MVP, or nominate a friend. If you want to keep these stories anonymous, we understand.
