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FOXBOROUGH, Mass (August 6, 2009) – New England Patriots fans will have an opportunity to serve as spokespeople for responsible behavior at the upcoming Training Camp Event for Season Ticket Holders and Foxborough residents tonight at Gillette Stadium (4:00 p.m. ET). The New England Patriots, the New England Revolution, Gillette Stadium, the Ensign John R. Elliott HERO Campaign for Designated Drivers, and TEAM Coalition are partnering to educate fans about the importance of using a designated driver and demonstrating positive fan behavior. The message is simple: “Be a HERO, Be a Designated Driver.”
"The HERO Campaign is proud to be associated with the New England Patriots, Gillette Stadium and our partners in promoting the use of designated drivers in memory of our son John," said Bill Elliott, Chairman of the HERO Campaign. “A designated driver is truly a hero by keeping others safe on the way home after the game. Our goal is to register a million designated drivers nationwide and make the use of designated drivers as automatic as wearing a seatbelt."
Fans must first make the Responsibility Has Its Rewards (RHIR) pledge to:
- Always have a designated driver
- Never drive drunk
- Always buckle up every trip every time
Those fans will have the opportunity to tape their own message about responsible behavior at the game. Public Service Announcements produced from the taping will air throughout the season on Gillette Stadium’s video board and on local broadcast TV. In addition, the video clips will be e-mailed to participants so their moment of fame can be shared with family and friends.
Patriots fans who pledge and demonstrate responsible behavior at any Patriots game throughout the season receive a complimentary soft drink and a chance to be selected as the Designated Driver for the Game. Each week, the Designated Driver for the Game from the previous home game and 3 guests will be recognized with a pregame ceremony on the field.
And at the end of the season, one fan, the Patriots Designated Driver for the Season, will be the Honorary Team Captain and join the Patriots captains for the coin toss on the 50-yard-line to start the final home game of the season on December 27, 2009. The Patriots Designated Driver for the Season will also receive an autographed Patriots helmet and have a chance to follow the Patriots to Super Bowl XLIV at Dolphin Stadium in Miami, Florida on February 7, 2010. At Gillette Stadium this season, there is no doubt that Responsibility Has Its Rewards.
“Giving fans the opportunity to be the voice of the Responsibility Has Its Rewards campaign personalizes the ‘Fans Don’t Let Fans Drive Drunk’ message,” 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.”
The designated-driver program is a key component of the responsibility initiatives that TEAM Coalition -- an alliance of professional and collegiate sports, entertainment facilities, stadium service providers, concessionaires, the beer industry, broadcasters, governmental traffic safety experts, and others working together to promote responsible drinking and positive fan behavior at sports facilities -- helps coordinate with professional sports leagues including the National Football League (NFL), Major League Baseball (MLB), Major League Soccer (MLS), the National Basketball Association (NBA), and the National Hockey League (NHL).
“It’s our goal to make sure fans act responsibly when it comes to alcohol,” said Gillette Stadium Executive Director of Food and Beverage David Wheeler. “This designated-driver program will play a big role in alcohol management at Gillette Stadium.”
The designated-driver program is one of several components of the alcohol management plan at Gillette Stadium. In addition, alcohol management training for the venue's employees gives them the skills to observe fan behavior and serve alcoholic beverages in compliance with local laws and in a manner designed to encourage responsible consumption. Alcohol service policies are enforced to ensure only fans of legal drinking age are served alcoholic beverages. These combined efforts represent an alcohol management plan in which the fans, arena employees, corporate sponsors and team representatives all are working toward common goals – promoting responsible alcohol consumption, positive fan behavior and traffic safety.
“Patriots games should always be a fun and safe environment for our fans, whether inside the stadium or driving home afterward,” said Jim Nolan, New England Patriots Vice President of Operations. “We hope our fans will embrace this program throughout the season because safety is a priority.”
Thursday, fans who pledge to be designated drivers will have a unique opportunity to show their dedication to Patriots, because responsibility really does have its rewards.
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TEAM's members and supporters include Major League Soccer, Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association, the National Football League, the National Hockey League, National Collegiate Athletic Association, ARAMARK, Delaware North Companies Sportservice, Beer Institute, Anheuser-Busch, MillerCoors, Live Nation, National Association of Broadcasters, Contemporary Services Corporation, International Association of Assembly Managers, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Visit www.teamcoalition.org for more details.
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