Responsibility Has Its Rewards

ALEXANDRIA, VA–(Marketwire – October 25, 2010) – As the San Francisco Giants and Texas Rangers prepare for the 2010 World Series^®, one fan from each Club, and a guest, are in for a night of a lifetime as they cheer on their home teams at Game One and Game Three of the World Series. Catherine Acosta and Vicki Boggs were selected as the grand prize winners of the “Responsibility Has Its Rewards” sweepstakes. Acosta, a Giants fan from Daly City, California, will attend Game One at AT&T Park and Boggs, a Rangers fan from Waxahachie, Texas, will attend Game Three at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. They were randomly chosen from among the more than 400,000 fans who pledged to be designated drivers, ensuring a safe ride home for their friends and family. 

“Fan safety in the ballpark has always been a top priority for Major League Baseball,” said Baseball Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig. “We are proud that our fans have taken an active role in supporting efforts to emphasize safety to and from the ballpark.”

For the seventh consecutive season, Major League Baseball (MLB), Techniques for Effective Alcohol Management (TEAM) Coalition, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and brewers have joined together to make more fans aware of the League’s designated-driver programs, including the Budweiser Good Sport partnership with the Giants and the Rangers. The designated driver-programs and the Responsibility Has Its Rewards sweepstakes promote traffic safety by encouraging responsible drinking and positive fan behavior.

“Tying the ‘Responsibility Has Its Rewards’ sweepstakes to our season-long Good Sport program makes for a winning combination,” said Kathy Casso, vice president of Corporate Social Responsibility for Anheuser-Busch. “We’re pleased to work with the Giants and 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. When it comes to preventing drunk driving, we’re all part of the team.”

As the Giants and Rangers Designated Drivers for the Season, each sweepstakes winners will receive two tickets to a World Series Game, be recognized on the video scoreboards and meet MLB and Club officials.

“This promotion is an opportunity for MLB to show support for the Clubs’ efforts in coordination with the concessionaires, the brewer and the local beer wholesalers to encourage responsible fan behavior,” said Jill Pepper, Executive Director, TEAM Coalition. “For fans, it’s a great reminder that responsibility really does have its rewards.”

During the 2010 MLB regular season, more than 400,000 baseball fans planned ahead and made the responsible, winning play by pledging to be designated drivers. That is the largest number of designated drivers since TEAM started tracking participation with MLB.

The top five MLB clubs for designated drivers in 2010 are:

• St. Louis Cardinals: 55,624 designated drivers
• Milwaukee Brewers: 54,026 designated drivers
• Detroit Tigers: 28,263 designated drivers
• Houston Astros: 26,917 designated drivers
• San Francisco Giants: 16,200 designated drivers

“Baseball is one of America’s favorite pastimes, but fans can get themselves in a serious slump if they don’t plan ahead,” said Administrator David Strickland of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. “Whether you’re at the ballpark or a friend’s house, designate a sober driver before the game. And remember, Fans Don’t Let Fans Drive Drunk.”

About TEAM Coalition
TEAM Coalition is an alliance of professional and collegiate sports, entertainment facilities, concessionaries, stadium service providers, the beer industry, broadcasters, traffic safety experts and others working together to promote responsible drinking and positive fan behavior at sports and entertainment facilities. TEAM Coalition members and supporters include Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer, National Basketball Association, National Football League, National Hockey League, National Collegiate Athletic Association, ARAMARK, Delaware North Companies – Sportservice, Ovations Food Services, Beer Institute, National Beer Wholesalers Association, Anheuser-Busch Companies, MillerCoors, Live Nation, National Association of Broadcasters, Contemporary Services Corporation, Elite Show Services, International Association of Assembly Managers, Stadium Managers Association and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. For more information, please visit www.TeamCoalition.org or www.rhir.org.

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