Finding something on your windshield after leaving your car outside a bar usually isn’t a welcome surprise. Tacoma’s Bar Fairies are working to change that. Volunteers leave $5 coffee gift cards on vehicles parked overnight at bars and restaurants, thanking people who chose to get home without driving after drinking. The cards also carry the story of someone killed by an impaired driver, giving a friendly gesture a serious purpose.
In an October 2 Weekly Volcano profile, reporter Avery Goodstine introduces Ashley Bonus, who helped bring the program to Tacoma after discovering it on social media. Her sister, Stacy Gammons-Ankerfelt, was struck by a drunk driver near her Auburn home in 2012 and died a month later. Bonus saw an opportunity to honor her sister while approaching prevention through something people could welcome: recognition for making a responsible choice.
The idea originated in Montana with the family of Bobby Dewbre, who was killed by a drunk driver after celebrating his 21st birthday. Locally, Bonus, her mother and four other volunteers go out one or two weekends a month, aiming to distribute about 20 cards each time. They don’t always find that many vehicles, but some recipients have sent thank-you messages. The hope is that a small reward helps make leaving the car behind feel like a normal, thoughtful part of a night out.
Behind those coffee cards is a much larger commitment. Bonus also works with Mothers Against Drunk Driving, and keeping her sister’s memory alive remains central to her efforts. The cards offer a glimpse of that work, but the personal promise—and the difficult experiences that keep her going—give the story its depth. Read Weekly Volcano’s full profile for the story behind that promise and why Bonus believes this unusually friendly approach can reach people who might otherwise turn away..
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