By Eric Stock

NORMAL – The father of a man who was killed by a drunk driver has published a book that he hopes will be an inspiration to others.

Jim Collins of Normal wrote ‘Uncommon Hope’ about the 2014 death of his son Michael Collins.

While still attending Illinois State University, Michael Collins had coached with his father on the University High baseball team for a year at the time of his death. Jim Collins explained in the book how the team pulled together after the tragedy.

“It was just kind of a storybook story that kind of wrote itself and when you put all of that on top of the pay-it-forward movement and all the good that came from that, it just seemed like a story that I should tell,” Collins said.

The Michael Collins Foundation has promoted a pay-it-forward lifestyle of serving others and has raised awareness about the dangers of drunk driving.

“It’s just another attempt by us to bring some good,” Collins said. “The book is intended to bring some inspiration for people and we continue to try to fight for some good things to happen from such a senseless tragedy.”

Collins will be signing copies of the book at Barnes and Noble on April 22 from 3 to 5 p.m., the same day as the MC Strong 5k run in Normal.

Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].