Posts Tagged ‘Atlanta Braves’

TEAM Georgia kicks off Braves Season!

A glorious afternoon. A baseball game. And a surprise visit by Hank Aaron.

Indeed, it was a winning combination for TEAM Georgia, the safe and sober driving coalition that partners with Atlanta’s pro sports teams, public safety officials and corporate and civic organizations for public education initiatives like its Designated Driver Booth program at Turner Field.

TEAM Georgia’s board was just settling in for a meeting at 755 Hank Aaron Drive today when the group was pleasantly interrupted by the hero himself.

The legendary Hank Aaron pops in on a TEAM Georgia board meeting at Turner Field on May 20, 2010.

That thrill was followed by an on-field, pre-game ceremony honoring TEAM Georgia officials, who were called up to the field, their names read aloud and images flashed onto the jumbo screen. The grand finale: a $10,000 check presented to TEAM Georgia from Atlanta Beverage Company. THANK YOU,  Atlanta Beverage!!

If you can make them out in the photo below, they are, from left to right: TEAM Georgia Braves Spokesplayer David Ross; TEAM Georgia Chairman Ron Fennel; National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Regional Administrator Terry Schiavone; Governor’s Office of Highway Safety Deputy Director Spencer Moore; Atlanta Beverage Company Vice President Marty Fedenko; and AAA Auto Club South Senior Travel Manager Garrett Townsend.

TEAM Georgia officials honored in a pre-game ceremony at Turner Field

Also on the field was longtime TEAM Georgia champion Captain Herb Emory from WSB. Since he’s too hard to find in the above photo, we’ll give him his own glory here:

WSB's Captain Herb boasts a $10,000 check to TEAM Georgia from Atlanta Beverage Company

And what the heck, here’s another shot of Captain Herb with longtime friend and colleague, our CEO, Barbara Pomerance:

Barbara Pomerance and Captain Herb

And let’s not forget the game, which ended with an astounding upset by the Braves, who beat Cincinnati in the ninth inning.

What a day!

Gooooo TEAM Georgia!

TEAM Georgia to launch Braves Season!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

A winning Braves season takes a TEAM!

Braves Catcher David Ross becomes new spokesplayer for TEAM Georgia

Braves catcher David Ross has become the newest Atlanta Braves player to root for his home team: TEAM Georgia, a safe and sober driving coalition.

Ross will receive a pre-game honor May 20 for his spokesmanship of TEAM Georgia.  Braves former second baseman, Kelly Johnson, served as the TEAM Georgia Spokesman in 2009.

As the Atlanta Braves kick off a fresh season, TEAM Georgia will roll out its Designated Driver Booth program, sponsored by the Anheuser-Busch/InBev Good Sport Program and Atlanta Beverage Company at Turner Field.

“Team Georgia makes sure we’re all playing by the rules and ‘catching’ a safe ride home,” Ross says.

TEAM Georgia, a coalition comprised of public and private citizens including law enforcement, corporate leaders and civic activists in partnership with the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, helps save lives by encouraging patrons to designate a driver at Braves games.

The 2010 TEAM Georgia Atlanta Braves program officially launches May 20 with a pre-game presentation at Turner Field featuring TEAM Georgia officials and Ross. At that time, Atlanta Beverage Company will present a jumbo-sized replica of a $10,000 check to TEAM Georgia to support the program.

The success of the program, which operates at Philips Arena, Turner Field and the Georgia Dome, depends on the spirited work of TEAM volunteers, who greet patrons by urging them to designate a sober driver in their party. In return for their work at the beginning portion of the game, volunteers enjoy the opportunity to watch the remainder of the event free of charge.

“Keeping our roads safe takes a team effort, and we are able to achieve our goals through trusted partnerships with Aramark, Atlanta Beverage Company, Anheuser-Busch and Turner Field,” said Ron Fennel, chairman of TEAM Georgia.

Thanks to the partnerships with host venues, patrons enjoy the “TEAM Georgia” experience throughout the festivities: TEAM Georgia’s public service announcements are made during the game by home-team athletes on the scoreboard while participating on-site vendors reward a party’s Designated Driver with incentives and prizes.

Since the Designated Driver Booth began in 1992, volunteers have recorded the signatures of hundreds of thousands of people, who have agreed to serve their party as a Designated Driver, receiving information on impaired driving and Georgia’s DUI laws.  The last several years have seen increasing pledges, with more than 7,000 recorded in 20007, more than 8,000 recorded in 2008, and more than 9,000 last year.

Join TEAM Georgia to promote responsible fun and help save lives! For more information, contact TEAM Georgia at 404-261-6053 or bonnie@teamgeorgia.net or visit www.teamgeorgia.net.

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