Curtis Tablotney loved his Mitsubishi 3000GT – a car featured in the first Fast and Furious movie. At some point, his family owned two of only four such cars in B.C., and they were Curtis’ pride and joy.
"(Curtis) grew up in the Fast and Furious (generation). Honda Civics and the Mitsubishi Lancer and all those other sporty cars were all part of everybody's identity, especially in Richmond," said Trevor, Curtis' brother.
In fact, Curtis' friends used to call him "Mr. GT 3000."
"It was a very positive point in his life where he was working hard, making money, buying the fancy car," Trevor explained.
Curtis passed away in December of a toxic drug overdose, but his family wants to keep his legacy alive featuring his dream car and bringing awareness about the opioid crisis and the humanity behind those struggling with substance-use disorders.
Trevor has set up a fundraising page, and their family is planning a fundraising event next week in Steveston.
The idea is to fix up the car and use to it deliver harm reduction information and Narcan kits – Narcan is used to reverse opioid overdoses.
The family wants to take the car to various car events, events in the community, schools and areas in the community where outreach might not take place.
“The idea of using the car for this purpose is that it’s a conversation piece,” reads the fundraising page. “Young people will be drawn to it and it also encompasses a part of my brother and puts a person behind the overdose story.”
The family also hopes to destigmatize drug use and the image of drug users by using the car as a conversation starter.
The car has been idle for about a decade, and the family estimates it will cost about $20,000 to restore.
Trevor has also been working with a designer to create decals mimicking sports cars from the 90s with harm-reduction messaging rather than brand logos.
The bumper of the car will act as a tribute to Curtis with the phrase "Rest easy Curt Deezy," another nickname given to Curtis by his friends.
“Curtis’ Dream - Driving towards Kindness and Understanding” is planned for next Thursday (July 20) at the Buck and Ear in Steveston.
Every day in B.C., six or seven people are dying of toxic drugs.
So far in 2023, 10 people have died in Richmond of drug poisoning.
Tickets for a burger and beer are available via Trevor Tablotney at [email protected].
For more information about the fundraiser, go to www.curtisdream.com or visit the GoFundMe page.
