Thank you to Abby Lutzenkirchen, one of Philip’s sisters and the newest addition to the Lutzie 43 team, for providing this post. Learn more about Abby and her goals for the foundation below.

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Losing Philip seems like it happened just yesterday, but also an eternity ago at the same time. With anyone who has experienced a tragic loss of someone they love, they will tell you that the grief never goes away. But, over time, that grief gets channeled through different avenues to live a life in legacy of our loved ones gone too soon.    

I tell people constantly that I could not imagine what life since losing Philip would be like for my family if we did not have the Lutzie 43 Foundation. It has become an extension of my brother, and seven years later, I am in awe of how our message and initiatives have grown under the leadership of my dad and our board.

Having worked in the philanthropic sector over the last four+ years, I am ready to use my experience to further the legacy of my brother and help take Lutzie 43 in a direction we feel will truly change lives. As the director of events and opportunity management, I will ensure day-to-day tasks are executed efficiently, spearhead our donor events like our annual Road Race and teen driving summits, and seek new funding opportunities to ensure our message and collateral gets in more hands and more cars driven nationwide. 

Distracted, impaired and unsafe driving changed the course of my family’s life forever. My ultimate goal is to get more people safely from point A to point B, and for us all to think twice before driving unsafely, impaired or distracted. I am excited and nervous at the same time, praying that the Lord will continue to guide my steps as I take this leap to ensure that my big brother is looking down with pride and joy – to make sure no family has to endure the pain of losing a loved one from a preventable car crash.

One of my favorite quotes from the great C.S. Lewis states that “God allows us to experience the low points of life in order to teach us lessons that we could learn in no other way.” While I’ll never know why God took Philip from us, I know that the Lord is using Philip’s story and message to impact more lives than we could have dreamed of. I personally am a better friend, daughter, sister and future wife because of my brother and this foundation.

Words cannot express the gratitude I have for each and every person who has supported the mission of the Lutzie 43 Foundation. It is a privilege to be part of this foundation and I give all glory to God that we get to live this life. Let’s get to work! 

God bless,

 Abby