LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The holiday spirit was in the air as a parade of Jeep owners drove up and down the Las Vegas Strip on Christmas Eve. But for those who join in, this annual tradition is about more than just cruising Las Vegas Boulevard.
Dozens of people decked their Jeeps out in Christmas lights and decor ahead of the annual Christmas Eve Cruise the Strip Light Drive, put on by the Desert Wranglers Jeep Club.
Hear from locals about why they're choosing to spend Christmas Eve raising awareness about drunk driving:
I caught up with Las Vegas local Roy Elam, who was decked out in one-piece pajamas inspired by the 2003 Christmas movie "Elf." Elam tells me this event has become an annual tradition for him and his family.
“Just being with the Jeep community and being out with people" is what keeps him coming back, he said.
Elam's Jeep had lights all around, a Christmas tree centerpiece, and even a wreath on the front — but if you look a little closer, you'll see pictures of people on the windshield.
Event organizers say the pictures are meant to honor victims of deadly DUI crashes in our valley and raise awareness of the devastating consequences of drunk driving.
Some families placed pictures of victims whom they never met on their windshields, while others brought pictures of family and friends killed by an impaired driver. So, while it may just seem like a fun holiday drive down the Strip, this light drive means more for the people who join in.
This year, the Jeep club is teaming up with the Injured Police Officers' Fund and Stop DUI. They estimate this year's event will help raise approximately $10,000.
The Las Vegas IPOF helps cover the cost of injuries or post-death expenses for local police and their families. Stop DUI aims to prevent impaired driving through education and awareness. Along with the pictures and lights, some Jeeps were also decorated with QR codes linking people directly to the donation pages for these organizations.
I asked Elam why it's important for him to help raise money for these initiatives.
“My brother used to be a cop, and he was hit by a drunk driver about 15 years ago," Elam said.
Jerry Vesely, who also drove with the group, had a photo of his daughter Codi on his Jeep. He told me it was taken just before she was killed 28 years ago, when she was 11 years old.
"Every birthday, every death anniversary, the holidays — I miss her desperately," Vesely said.
It's a connection of loss and grief shared by many of the drivers who joined the Christmas Eve Jeep cruise. And in our valley, they're not alone.
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department data shows 40 people have died in DUI crashes this year in their jurisdiction.
So, the Desert Wranglers Jeep Club hopes this event will help bring change to our roadways.
“We try to make people aware, any place and anywhere we can, that this is not the appropriate thing to do," Vesely said. "There are other options. You need to take advantage of these options so you don’t kill 11-year-old girls."
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