| ARLINGTON, TX. (04/8/2014) – The Texas Rangers were recognized yesterday for winning the Budweiser Good Sport Designated Driver Challenge with the Kansas City Royals. Representatives from the Rangers, Ben E. Keith company Beverage Distributors, Anheuser-Busch and TEAM Coalition gathered for the celebration.The Budweiser Good Sport Designated Driver Challenge tracked the number of fans who pledged to be designated drivers at all the 2013 regular season home games for both Clubs. Each fan who pledged to be a designated driver at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington earned the Rangers one point in the challenge. The Rangers edged out the Royals with 15,976 designated drivers as compared to 14,868.
Click here to see the final standings in the Budweiser Good Sport Designated Driver Challenge.
(left to right) Aurelio Ruelas, Regional Director of Responsibility, Anheuser-Busch; Allison Law, Program Associate, TEAM Coalition; Rose Swenson, Manager Sponsorship Services, Texas Rangers; Donnie Pordash, Assistant Vice President Customer Relations, Texas Rangers; Stephanie Smith, Customer Service Coordinator, Texas Rangers; Tony Dressell, On-Premise Manager for Ben E. Keith Company Beverage Distributors; Kaelynn Russell, Intern, Texas Rangers
The Texas Rangers, DNC Sportservice and Ben E. Keith have been working together successfully for the Budweiser Good Sport designated driver program, finishing the 2013 MLB season with the 11th most designated drivers in the league.
“We’re pleased to work with the Rangers, TEAM and the other program partners to recognize fans who look out for each other and make a designated driver part of their game plan,” said Kathy Casso, vice president of Corporate Social Responsibility for Anheuser-Busch. “When it comes to preventing drunk driving, we’re all part of the team.”
“Teamwork is exactly what this organization is all about,” said Jill Pepper, executive director of TEAM Coalition. “Through the Designated Driver Challenge, we are demonstrating that when everyone – including the fans – takes responsibility, everyone wins.”
The Budweiser Good Sport designated driver program is just one component of the fan behavior initiatives offered by the Texas Rangers at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. Other components include:
- A Guest Code of Conduct posted in and around Rangers Ballpark in Arlington
- Certification of employees across every organization operating in the ballpark in effective alcohol management training
- Alcohol service policies including ID checks for fans who look 35 years of age or younger, no more than two alcoholic beverages per person per transaction and alcohol cut-off at the end of the eighth inning
About TEAM Coalition
TEAM Coalition is an alliance of professional and collegiate sports, entertainment facilities, concessionaires, stadium service providers, the beer industry, distillers, broadcasters, governmental traffic safety experts, and others working together to promote responsible drinking and positive fan behavior at sports and entertainment facilities. TEAM’s members and supporters include Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer, NASCAR, the National Basketball Association, the National Football League, the National Hockey League, National Collegiate Athletic Association, ARAMARK, Delaware North Companies Sportservice, Ovations Food Services, Beer Institute, National Beer Wholesalers Association, Anheuser-Busch, MillerCoors, Brown-Forman, Live Nation, National Association of Broadcasters, Contemporary Services Corporation, Elite, International Association of Venue Managers, Stadium Managers Association and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. www.teamcoalition.org.
About Anheuser-Busch
For three decades, Anheuser-Busch and its nationwide network of wholesalers have invested more than $930 million in national advertising campaigns and community-based programs to promote responsible drinking, prevent underage drinking and drunk driving and address college issues. For more information on these alcohol responsibility efforts and the progress being made, visit www.anheuser-busch.com. |
