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FC Dallas

FC Dallas Seek Fans to Film Public Service Announcement

May 15, 2009 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
FC Dallas News Release


FRISCO, TX (May 13, 2009) - FC Dallas fans will have an opportunity to serve as spokespeople for responsible behavior at the upcoming home game against the Seattle Sounders FC on Saturday, May 16 at Pizza Hut Park (7:30 p.m. CT). FC Dallas, Pizza Hut Park, Centerplate, and TEAM Coalition are partnering to educate fans about the importance of using a designated driver, buckling up 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 FC Dallas, Major League Soccer, 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

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 Pizza Hut Park'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. FC Dallas fans who pledge and demonstrate responsible behavior at any FC Dallas game throughout the season have a chance to be selected as the FC Dallas Designated Driver for the Season and may win a trip to MLS Cup 2009 at Qwest Field (Seattle, WA) on November 22 or the 2010 MLS All-Star Game at Rio Tinto Stadium (Sandy, UT) on July 29.

"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 Major League Soccer (MLS), the National Basketball Association (NBA), Major League Baseball (MLB), the National Football League (NFL), and the National Hockey League (NHL).

"It's our goal to make sure fans act responsibly when it comes to alcohol," said Centerplate General Manager Jimmy Kowitt. "This designated driver program will play a big role in alcohol management at Pizza Hut Park."

The designated driver program is one of several components of the alcohol management plan at Pizza Hut Park. In addition, alcohol management training for the venue's employees gives them the skills to observe fan behavior and serve alcohol 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 alcohol 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.

"FC Dallas games should always be a fun and safe environment for our fans, whether inside the stadium or driving home afterward," said FC Dallas General Manager Michael Hitchcock. "We hope our fans will embrace this program throughout the season because safety is a priority."

Saturday, fans who pledge to be designated drivers will have a unique opportunity to show their dedication to FC Dallas, because responsibility really does have its rewards.

About TEAM Coalition

TEAM's members and supporters include Major League Soccer, the National Basketball Association, Major League Baseball, National Football League, National Hockey League, National Collegiate Athletic Association, ARAMARK, Delaware North Companies Sportservice, Beer Institute, MillerCoors, LiveNation, National Association of Broadcasters, Contemporary Services Corporation, International Association of Assembly Managers, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. www.teamcoalition.org.

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