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RADD Celebrities Encourage Southlanders To `Designate Before They Celebrate'

23 December 1997

RADD Celebrities Encourage Southlanders To `Designate Before They Celebrate'

             RADD's Christmas Present to the Southland Community

    STUDIO CITY, Calif., Dec. 23 -- Who's behind the wheel of the
headlights coming at you?  Have they been drinking?  Are you safe?
Tragically, another drunk driving crash claimed the lives of two innocent
young victims in Apple Valley the other day.  Last year drunk driving
collisions injured 10,000 and killed 456 L.A.-area residents.  Through RADD
(Recording Artists, Actors and Athletes Against Drunk Driving), the
entertainment community is doing something active and positive to promote
sober driving this holiday season.
    RADD's 2nd Annual Greater L.A. Challenge campaign has distributed over
6,000,000 free "RADD Cards" good for discounts and incentives in 700
participating bars, restaurants and retail stores throughout the five-county
Metro area from now through January 31.  This unique card is RADD's way of
rewarding Southlanders for at least considering the concept of a designated
driver.
    "Everyone is doing their share.  The retail community mobilized tremendous
support for this campaign by turning out in record-breaking numbers," explains
RADD President Erin Meluso.  "We've also had overwhelming buy-in from Southern
California radio stations who are donating serious air time to playing "don't
drink and drive messages" from RADD celebrities such as Clint Black, Melissa
Etheridge, Filter, Elton John, Paul McCartney, No Doubt, Tito Puente, Jr., Jon
Secada, Rod Stewart, and Trisha Yearwood."
    The free cards are accessible to everyone.  They can be picked up at all
Greater L.A. locations of: Farmers Insurance Agencies, L.A. Cellular
Superstores, Sam Goody and Musicland outlets, and at any of 700 participating
bars and restaurants displaying the "RADD Card Honored Here" window sign.
Copies of the RADD card are also printed every week in selected editions of
the "PennySaver" and "Shopper" publications.  A complete listing of retailers
as well as the card can be downloaded off the RADD website at
http://www.radd.org.
    RADD is an L.A.-based non-profit organization that serves as the voice of
the entertainment industry on the subject of road safety.  RADD's 300
celebrity spokespeople fight drunk driving by advocating the use of designated
drivers and alternate transportation.  RADD is the recipient of the US
Department of Transportation's "1997 Public Service Award."
    The campaign is sponsored by Anheuser-Busch, Farmers Insurance and L.A.
Cellular.

SOURCE  Recording Artists, Actors and Athletes Against Drunk Driving