Astroworld victim's family working to promote safety at live events: 'Fighting for her every second'
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Nov. 5, 2021, changed the Dubiskis' lives forever.
Their daughter, Madison, and her brother attended Travis Scott's Astroworld Festival at NRG Park.
Madison and nine others did not make it home. They were killed in what is described by Houston police as a "crowd crush."
Still waiting for her to walk through the door.Michelle Dubiski, victim's mother
"Still waiting for her to walk through the door," Michelle Dubiski, her mother, said.
Madison was Michelle and Brian Dubiski's only daughter. They described her as being "electric." She was 23 years old.
"We didn't know what to do," Brian Dubiski said. "We were in a really dark place, just a cloud over our heads, not functioning very well. I think it was just a roller coaster of emotions from pain, anger, sorrow, and we didn't really know what to do or where to turn."
In their first interview since their daughter's death, Michelle said if they had any inkling that their children would not have been safe at the festival, they would not have been there.
She said they spent their entire lives protecting their children, just for one of them to not make it home from a festival.
SEE RELATED: Astroworld organizers had 'strong hunch' on overcrowding, raising red flags weeks prior to tragedy
"I think people were appalled by the event," Brian said. "I think people were really upset by it. Like, how could this happen?"
In the wake of the tragedy, buildings were lit up pink in Madison's honor. Family, friends, and strangers across the globe began tying pink bows around items in public to remember her as well.
"The overwhelming amount of love and support for our daughter and all the victims, I think, really honestly kept us alive in a time that we really thought we were dying," Michelle said.
Lawsuits were filed by the deceased victims' families against major players in the case, like Live Nation, Travis Scott, and Apple. The lawsuits were settled.
READ MORE: Travis Scott just settled hundreds of lawsuits linked to deadly Astroworld Festival
A criminal investigation by HPD did not lead to any charges but produced a more than 1,000-page report that gave a look into the interworking of the festival. Concerns about the festival were documented in the weeks leading up to it. The report showed a number of communication breakdowns. It also produced a timeline of the night that showed 37 minutes elapsed from the time first responders knew there was danger to the time Scott's set ended.
By all accounts from that report, you know, all 10 victims should still be alive today, and that's a hard pill to swallow.Brian Dubiski, victim's father
SEE ALSO: A full breakdown of what happened at Astroworld Festival tragedy, according to Houston police
"By all accounts from that report, you know, all 10 victims should still be alive today, and that's a hard pill to swallow," Brian said.
In the depths of their grief, the Dubiskis felt they had no other choice but to do something to keep Madison's legacy alive. They wanted to make a way for others to have fun and not be concerned about their safety when attending large live events.
"We are the face of the tragedy with our daughter being gone, and we are fighting for her every second of every day and for the rest of the people that attended," Michelle said.
RELATED: Astroworld victim's family starts concert safety nonprofit as officials offer little change, updates
They created the Pink Bows Foundation.
One goal is to educate large event industry leaders on safety, an area the Dubiskis said they found people wanted improvement in.
The foundation partnered with two men who were expert witnesses in the Astroworld court case.
Dr. Mark Hamilton serves as the head of security for Sir Paul McCartney and Steve Allen, who pioneered the "Showstop Procedure."
It's an amazing feeling to know that we've worked really hard to get to this point.Brian Dubiski, victim's father
"Even with a vehicle, safety technology is always evolving, and yet you still have car accidents," Allen said. "There's always a chance that there's going to be an accident, and what's refreshing to me is that the industry doesn't sit still. We constantly want to upskill and evolve."
Whereas the Astroworld report details a jumble of communication as people were being crushed and does not clearly show who knew what and when, the Showstop Procedure streamlines it and designates one person as the authority to enact a plan.
"Both myself and my colleague Steve Allen have implemented Showstop on numerous occasions at quite significant events, big events, tens and tens of thousands of people, and neither one of us have experienced conducting that show stop where there's been any injuries or death," Hamilton said.
The Pink Bows Foundation debuted a couple of months ago at the International Live Music Conference in London with standing room only for the foundation's panel.
SEE ALSO: 'Ignoring the situation': Critics claim not enough has been done since Astroworld tragedy
The foundation had its first course and Showstop Procedure certification exam in Houston at the end of March. The Dubiskis said they had security and insurance companies attend, as well as large-scale operators and promoters from around the world.
"It's an amazing feeling to know that we've worked really hard to get to this point," Brian said while choking back tears.
The workshops are geared toward those in the event industry, but the Pink Bows Foundation reaches everyday people through its "Pink Bows Safe Space" at large events. They set up a pink tent at live events, festivals, fun runs, and more.
It is an air-conditioned space with mental health advocates, where people can retreat if they feel overwhelmed or need a place to cool off. The Dubiskis learned that First Aid tents were overwhelmed at Astroworld and wanted to alleviate that problem.
"Think about that moment when you're in a crowd and you just want a place to be able to get back and take a breath and unwind," Brian said. "It's very difficult in large events, and our safe space has been very successful because of that."
Three and a half years after their world was turned upside down, the Dubiskis are seeing their daughter kept alive through their work. As part of that, they said they maintain the memorial for all of the victims outside NRG Park.
She'd be high-fiving us from heaven right now for sure.Brian Dubiski, victim's father
"Hopefully, people see it, and it sparks something in them. Just to say, 'Yeah, I remember that's an awful tragedy that happened. How do we keep that from happening again?" Brian explained.
When asked if they believed Madison would be proud of what they were doing, Michelle said, "Absolutely."
"She'd be high-fiving us from heaven right now for sure," Brian said.
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