Lacey Gallagher
must never be forgotten

By Tom Waring
Times Staff Writer

Denise Gallagher remembers her daughter Lacey as a good all-around teenager with a bright future.
"Lacey was so kind and good and giving," her mom said. "She would have made a difference in this world."
A year ago, Lacey had a lot to look forward to. The 18-year-old from Fishtown was nearing graduation from Little Flower High School, with plans to major in psychology and play soccer at Chestnut Hill College. She couldn’t wait for her senior prom and picked out the perfect custom-made dress and tiara.
Lacey and her friends had a good time at the prom, and the teenagers wanted to continue the fun all weekend in the Pocono Mountains.
It was shortly before 3 a.m. on April 28, and Lacey was one of seven young people who were riding in a Suzuki XL-7 sport-utility vehicle on the Pennsylvania Turnpike’s Northeast Extension, south of the Quakertown exit.
The driver lost control of the vehicle, which hit a concrete barrier and rolled over several times before coming to rest on its roof. Lacey was ejected and killed. The others were taken to a hospital with injuries.
Neither the driver nor the passengers were using drugs or alcohol, and they were all considered responsible kids. But they were not wearing seat belts, and the driver was fighting a dense fog and wet roads that night.
"When a group of kids is all together, it seems they make different decisions," Denise Gallagher said.
Added Frank Gallagher, a truck driver and Lacey’s dad: "These kids should not have been on the road."
Since that terrible night, the Gallaghers and their family and friends have been working tirelessly to bring some good from the tragedy.
The Lacey Gallagher Memorial Scholarship Fund has already helped pay off the tuition of an Archbishop Ryan High School student who worked two jobs after his dad died.
The fund will also benefit 30 deserving eighth-grade students who will attend a Catholic high school. Lacey, who received a partial high school scholarship, loved her days at Holy Name of Jesus Elementary School and Little Flower, where her faith, knowledge and talent blossomed and she made a lot of friends.
The winners will be honored at a ceremony on April 25. They come from 13 area Catholic grade schools.
The Gallaghers, who live on East Berks Street, also assisted a neighborhood family whose home was damaged by fire.
None of that would have been possible if not for a tremendously successful fall festival last October at Holy Name. More than $60,000 was raised.
"The generosity and support has been overwhelming," Denise Gallagher said.
The scholarship fund will also get a boost on April 26, when a golf outing is held at Ron Jaworski’s Valleybrook Golf & Country Club in Blackwood, N.J. Lacey played on the golf team at Little Flower. Another benefit is set for June 28 at Echo’s, a nightclub in North Wildwood, N.J.
The Gallaghers — Frank and Denise, their adult son Sean and teenage daughters Brianna and Alexis — are also pushing legislation that would increase the number of hours an individual would need on the road before obtaining a driver’s license.
At present, the requirement is 50 hours. House Bill 163, sponsored by Bucks County Republican state Rep. Kathy Watson, would add 10 hours of supervised driving at night and five hours in inclement weather.
The legislation would also mandate that junior drivers age 16 and 17 can have no more than one passenger under 18 in their cars in order to minimize distractions. That’s a specific recommendation of the New Jersey Governor’s Teen Driver Study Commission.
The proposed Pennsylvania measure — dubbed "Lacey’s Law," thanks to an amendment sponsored by Rep. John Sabatina Jr. — has unanimously passed the House Transportation Committee and sits in the Appropriations Committee.
"This law really needs to be passed," Denise Gallagher said. "Certain accidents could be prevented."
Young drivers attending proms generally have a full day. They are up early for school, then have to get ready for the prom and pose for countless pictures. Then there’s dinner and dancing. By then, the teen might be ready for bed rather than a long drive.
"That’s a really long day for a kid who’s seventeen," said Sean Gallagher, Lacey’s 23-year-old brother.
Then, there is Our Promise to Lacey. The campaign by Lacey’s family and friends is meant to raise awareness of teens and their parents on some sobering statistics. Six out of 10 teenage drivers and two of three teen passengers who have been killed in crashes were not wearing seat belts.
The Gallaghers are calling on all teenagers, especially the ones who’ll be attending proms this spring, to buckle up.
The family does not fault anyone — neither the 17-year-old male driver nor the passengers — who was in the vehicle with Lacey. While Denise Gallagher knows losing a child is a parent’s worst nightmare, she labels the incident a "tragic accident" that the other teens will live with for a long time.
During the 2008-09 academic year, the Gallaghers want to visit schools to promote seat belt use on prom night.
For now, they are hoping that Little Flower seniors and their dates buckle up on April 25, the date of the prom.
The family was also pleased to hear that Father Judge High School changed the date of its prom, held at Camden’s Adventure Aquarium, to May 3, a Saturday. The school acted, in large part, because a Saturday prom — as opposed to the traditional ones on Fridays — discourages students from taking a long ride to begin a weekend of activities.
No matter what day a prom is, the Gallaghers want young people to get a good night’s sleep before continuing the fun.
"They should make plans for the following morning, when they are well rested," Denise Gallagher said. ••
Reporter Tom Waring can be reached at 215-354-3034 or twaring@phillynews.com

Here’s what’s
on the agenda . . .

The Lacey Gallagher Memorial Scholarship Fund will hold its awards presentation on Friday, April 25, from 7 to 11 p.m., at Holy Name of Jesus church hall, at 701 E. Gaul St. For more information, write to laceysteam@yahoo.com
The first Lacey Gallagher Memorial Scholarship Fund golf outing will take place on Saturday, April 26, at Ron Jaworski’s Valleybrook Golf & Country Club, at 200 Golfview Drive in Blackwood, N.J.
There will be a 7:30 a.m. shotgun start. Hole sponsorships cost $75. The cost per golfer is $100, which includes gifts, door prizes and a party. The winners will receive a cash prize.
For information on the golf outing, contact Bill Dolan (215-783-7907, bdolanmasonry@aol.com), Greg Fox (215-783-3562, lg1104@aol.com) or Tim Bryan (215-529-0619, tbryan1765@comcast.net).
A memorial Mass for Lacey will be held on Sunday, April 27, at 4:30 p.m. at Holy Name. Refreshments will follow in the hall.
There will also be a benefit for the scholarship fund on Saturday, June 28, at Echo’s, at Walnut and Olde New Jersey avenues in North Wildwood, N.J. The event will coincide with the annual Beach Blast soccer tournament.
For more information on the Gallagher family’s efforts, visit www.thelaceyfund.org