|
April 18, 2005 (Washington D.C.) – Major League Baseball® (MLB) and Techniques
for Effective Alcohol Management (TEAM Coalition) have successfully drafted
RADD: The Entertainment Industry’s Voice For Road Safety to further develop
and promote the Responsibility Has Its Rewards (RHIR) campaign.
The RHIR campaign, launched in 2004 by TEAM Coalition and MLB, rewards adult
fans who pledge to be designated drivers at MLB games by entering them into a
drawing to be selected as that Club’s designated driver for the season. The
selected fans for the two Clubs that play in the 2005 World Series® will each
receive two tickets to their Club’s first home Series game. One designated driver
for the season from a Club that does not play in the World Series will be chosen
at random to win a trip to the 2006 MLB All-Star Game® in Pittsburgh. During the
2004 season, over 160,000 baseball fans pledged to be designated drivers as a
part of the Responsibility Has Its Rewards promotion.
“We are pleased to invite members of our roster of over 500 RADD celebrity
messengers to participate in this campaign, as well as provide a platform for
Major League Baseball players to talk about road safety. With RADD, TEAM and
MLB working together, we can reach an at-risk audience of young adults, where
they live, work and play with life-saving messages,” said Erin Meluso, President
of RADD.
“MLB views fan safety as one of the League’s top priorities, that’s why we endorsed
the Responsibility Has Its Rewards campaign – to recognize our fans who choose to
designate a sober driver,” said Kevin Hallinan, Senior Vice President of Security and
Facility Management for MLB and Chairman of TEAM Coalition. “We are confident that
with RADD’s help, even more fans will become aware and participate in this life-saving
program.”
RADD has plans to create additional public service announcements with various MLB
players, coaches and umpires for the RHIR campaign. RADD celebrity messengers have
also been invited to participate in the upcoming 2005 MLB Legends and Celebrity All-Star
softball game at Detroit’s Comerica Park, July 10, 2005.
Statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration show that young males
21-34 years-old are most likely to be involved in automobile crashes, drive impaired and
less likely to wear safety belts. Market research also shows that this demographic is a
core audience for sporting and entertainment programming and events.
###
TEAM Coalition – an alliance of professional and collegiate sports, entertainment
facilities, concessionaires, the beer industry, broadcasters, governmental traffic safety
experts, and others working together to promote responsible drinking and positive fan behavior
at sports and entertainment facilities – has coordinated this league-wide promotion in support
of existing designated driver programs designed to reward fans for responsible behavior.
Official promotion rules are available at www.teamcoalition.org.
RADD (Recording Artists, Actors and Athletes Against Drunk Driving), ‘The Entertainment
Industry’s Voice for Road Safety’, is an internationally recognized non-profit organization
that empowers celebrities and media partners to create positive attitudes about road safety.
Founded in 1986, RADD advocates the use of designated drivers, seatbelts and safe driving
through control behind the wheel, making responsible behavior the norm. RADD’s messages are
non-judgmental, hip and positive. www.radd.org
|
