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Green Bay, WI (Feb. 3, 2011) – TEAM Coalition congratulates the Green Bay Packers and their Designated Driver for the Season, Andrew Muhich, all of whom are headed to North Texas for Super Bowl XLV® at Cowboys Stadium. Muhich of Franklin, WI pledged to be a designated driver while attending a Packers game at Lambeau Field this season. That demonstration of responsible behavior was his ticket to the Super Bowl. He joins Joan McConnell, the Designated Driver for the Season for the AFC Champions Pittsburgh Steelers, as the two grand prize winners in the Responsibility Has Its Rewards campaign for designated drivers.
TEAM Coalition reminds football fans that if your Super Bowl celebration includes alcohol, make the right decision before kickoff and always have a designated driver. The national Fans Don’t Let Fans Drive Drunk message is also supported by the National Football League (NFL), the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and the HERO Campaign.
The Fans Don’t Let Fans Driver Drunk message supports the league-wide designated-driver campaign calledResponsibility Has Its Rewards. Celebrating its eighth season in 2010, the campaign encourages fans to participate in designated-driver programs supported by beer and concessionaire companies at every NFL stadium nationwide. The designated driver program at Lambeau Field is supported by Miller Lite. Throughout the season at all 31 NFL stadiums, more than 170,000 fans (nearly 3,000 at Lambeau Field) made the responsible decision by pledging to be designated drivers. Muhich has earned the ultimate reward – a trip to Super Bowl XLV®. And the Designated Driver for the Season from the Buffalo Bills – Barbara Owczarczak of Lancaster, NY –attended the 2011 Pro Bowl in Honolulu, HI.
“Fans who pledge to be designated drivers are critical to the success of the Responsibility Has Its Rewards campaign,” said Jill Pepper, executive director of TEAM Coalition. “Teamwork is exactly what this campaign is all about, and through this program we are demonstrating that when everyone – including the fans – takes responsibility, everyone wins.”
If you are hosting a Super Bowl party:
- Make sure all of your guests designate their sober drivers before kick-off or help arrange ride-sharing with other sober drivers
- Find unique ways to recognize the designated drivers at your party
- Give them a great spot to watch the game
- Whatever non-alcoholic beverage they are drinking, make sure their glass is always full
- Let them have the first pass at the buffet table
- Make sure their cars are easy to access when it is time to start driving people home
- Serve plenty of food
- Offer a variety of non-alcoholic choices like soft drinks, juice, and water
- Serve one drink at a time and serve measured drinks
- Only serve alcohol to guests over 21 years of age
- Determine ahead of time when you’ll stop serving alcohol, such as one hour before the end of the party or at the end of the third quarter of the game (just like NFL stadiums) and begin serving coffee and dessert
- Add the numbers of local cab companies into your phone so they are just one touch away
- Take appropriate steps to prevent anyone from driving while impaired
- Be prepared for guests to spend the night if an alternative way home is not available
If you are attending a Super Bowl party or watching at a sports bar or restaurant:
- Designate your sober driver before the party begins and leave your car keys at home if you plan to drink
- Find unique ways to recognize the designated drivers when you are out at a bar or restaurant
- Offer to be the designated driver the next time you go out
- Cover the cost for parking or even pay for a tank of gas
- Whatever non-alcoholic beverage they are drinking, make sure their glass is always full
- Pick up the tab for their food and drink
- Before you go out, add the numbers for local cab companies in your cell phone so if you find yourself in need of a ride, it is just one touch away
- Avoid drinking too much alcohol too fast. Pace yourself—eat enough food, take breaks and alternate with non-alcoholic drinks.
- Take appropriate steps to prevent anyone from driving while impaired. Remember, Fans Don’t Let Fans Drive Drunk.
- Always buckle up – it’s your best defense on the road
For more information, please visit www.FansDontLetFansDriveDrunk.org. or www.NHTSA.gov/Impaired |
