By Emily Enfinger | The Selma Times-Journal

Students gathered into Morgan Academy’s gymnasium early Monday morning to hear an important message.

“Life is all about decision-making,” said Mike Lutzenkirchen, executive director of Lutzie 43 Foundation, to students after showing a tribute video of his late son Philip Lutzenkirchen.

Philip’s family established the Lutzie 43 Foundation shortly after his death in 2014. The Lutzie 43 Foundation’s objective is to develop the character of young people and their influences by focusing on certain aspects such as leadership, charity, compassion and hard work.

Mike has since spent his time travelling, and sharing the story of his son and the mission of the Lutzie 43 Foundation, speaking to more than 150 schools and organizations.

Philip, former Auburn football star, is remembered for his kind heart, athletic talent and his blossoming future cut short.

He died in a tragic single car accident at the age of 23 on June 29, 2014. He was riding in a 2006 Chevrolet Tahoe with three others when the driver failed to stop at a T-stop intersection going 77 miles per hour. The vehicle was found upside down and Philip and the driver were dead when responders arrived.

Mike said Philip had spent that Friday night and Saturday early morning with 13 other people at a farm in Georgia where they were having a fun time mudding and drinking. He said the driver wanted to go to the convenience store at 2 a.m. Phillip and two others joined him on his venture. Mike said this was confirmed with video surveillance from the store but the four never made it back to the farm.

Mike stressed to students at Morgan Academy that even though Philip and his friends were of legal drinking age, drinking and driving is a dangerous combination. He encouraged students to be a great friend by not being afraid to stand up and think twice about making a decision.

“I just hope a friend will have the courage to say to another friend, ‘I’m not going to do that,’” Mike said. “Somebody might be mad at you for a short period of time but if you help them do something that causes them to not be in a bad position, they will always say thank you.”

Morgan Academy senior and Student Government Association president Harrison Adams said the presentation and talk from Mike was an eye opener for him and his fellow students.

“I think it was really eye opening especially for older kids in the high school just because, I mean, it was talking about the importance of our decision-making and how it can affect ourselves along with the other people around us,” Adams said. “The students at our school are really smart in their decision making in the first place but because what happened to Phillip, if it happened to him, such a great person, such a great guy, then it could happen to anybody.”

For more information about Lutzie 43 Foundation, visit www.Lutzie43.org.