Vermont HCR 299: House concurrent resolution in memory of Elana Grace Korey and recognizing August 2, 2026, as 802 Day in Vermont

Bill Text

R-357 Page 1 of 1
2026

VT LEG #389917 v.1
No. R-357. House concurrent resolution in memory of Elana Grace Korey and
recognizing August 2, 2026, as 802 Day in Vermont.
(H.C.R.299)
Offered by Representative Chapin of East Montpelier
Offered by Senator Cummings
Whereas, Elana Korey of Duxbury, Massachusetts, was 20 years of age and a student
at the University of Arkansas, and had strong ties to Vermont, and
Whereas, shortly after 5:00 a.m. on July 28, 2024, a foggy Sunday morning, Elana
Korey was a front-seat passenger in a 2006 Lexus automobile that was traveling
northbound on I-89 in Middlesex, and the highway was clear with minimal traffic, and
Whereas, tragically, the car veered off the right-hand side of the road, crashed into a
rock ledge, and, on impact, was engulfed in flames, killing both Elana and the driver,
who was 19 years of age, and, upon investigation, the Vermont State Police determined
that the driver’s blood alcohol content was above the legal limit, marijuana was present in
his bloodstream, and speed was a factor in the crash, and
Whereas, the death of Elana Korey devastated her parents, Alice and Robert Korey,
along with her brothers, especially as all three siblings were relatively close in age, and
Whereas, beyond mourning their daughter’s loss, her parents established the Ollie’s
Angels Foundation, named after her beloved puppy and her “angel,” and it is a 501(c)(3)
nonprofit with a mission of “raising awareness about the deadly consequences of
impaired and reckless driving,” and dedicated to helping other families avoid a similar
preventable and unimaginable loss through focusing on sober driving, accountability, and
educating young adults before another highway tragedy becomes irreversible, and
Whereas, the Ollie’s Angels Foundation has launched two primary projects; one,
known as “Project 802 (802 Day)” takes its name from the State’s closely identified
telephone area code and applies it to the calendar for an annual observance on August 2,
both to honor Elana Korey and to promote responsible sober driving across Vermont’s
communities; the second initiative, labeled “Catch a Safe Ride,” encourages individuals,
especially youths, to find alternative transportation if they or their intended driver is not
sober, and
Whereas, to promote this important message, the Ollie’s Angels Foundation is
partnering with Mothers Against Drunk Driving and reaching out on Instagram and
TikTok, now therefore be it
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives:
That the General Assembly extends condolences to the family of Elana Grace Korey
and recognizes August 2, 2026, as 802 Day in Vermont, and be it further
Resolved: That the Secretary of State be directed to send a copy of this resolution to
the Ollie’s Angels Foundation.