MLB, Budweiser and TEAM Coalition Reward Designated Drivers at the 2016 World Series

Cleveland, OH, Oct. 26, 2016 -- For one very lucky and responsible Cleveland Indians fan, last night’s World Series® game will forever be treasured as an incredible baseball memory. Seeing her first Indians World Series game in 19 years, Amelia Reid from Oberlin, OH, cheered loudly for her beloved Indians from inside Progressive Field. Ms. Reid and her guest received tickets to the game as her reward for being a responsible fan. She was one of the two grand prize winners of the League-wide “Responsibility Has Its Rewards” sweepstakes to celebrate designated drivers. Ms. Reid was randomly chosen from more than 17,000 Indians fans who pledged to be designated drivers at Progressive Field this season, ensuring safe rides home for their friends and family.

(L to R) Jennifer Rhodes, Delaware North Sportservice; Renee VanLaningham, Cleveland Indians; Tom Reid, Guest of winner; Amelia Reid, Winner; John Skinner, MLB; Tom Brasuell, MLB; Steve Walters, Cleveland Indians; Christy Verbosky, TEAM Coalition

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"The safety of our fans is paramount throughout the season and the Budweiser Good Sport Program helps us promote and increase fans' social responsibility in regards to designated driving," said John Skinner, Senior Director of Security and Facility Management, Major League Baseball." Along with Budweiser and TEAM Coalition, we're proud to reward some of the fans who have committed to getting their family and friends home safely with these special World Series experiences."

For the 13th consecutive season, MLB, Techniques for Effective Alcohol Management (TEAM) Coalition and Budweiser have joined together to make fans aware of the designated driver programs offered at MLB ballparks. The designated driver programs and the “Responsibility Has Its Rewards” sweepstakes promote safer roads by encouraging responsible drinking and positive fan behavior.

“Anheuser-Busch has strived to be a leader in responsible drinking and sports marketing for the past 30 years, and we’re honored to once again reward fans who take personal responsibility for not driving drunk,” said Katja Zastrow, Vice President, Corporate Social Responsibility & Better World at Anheuser-Busch. “We’re dedicated to working with Major League Baseball, ballparks, concessionaires, and TEAM Coalition to encourage baseball fans to “Give A Damn” about making our roads safer.”

Anheuser-Busch and its wholesalers promote responsible drinking among baseball fans by implementing Budweiser Good Sport fan responsibility programs with 23 MLB ballparks throughout the season. Anheuser-Busch is an official sponsor of Major League Baseball and the 2016 World Series.

As the Indians Designated Driver for the Season, Ms. Reid received two tickets for Game One of the 2016 World Series®, was recognized on the video scoreboard and met MLB and Club officials. The Chicago Cubs Designated Driver for the Season, Becky Yaworski of Chicago, IL, will attend Game Three of the World Series® at Wrigley Field as the other RHIR sweepstakes grand prize winner.

“The success of the Responsibility Has Its Rewards campaign with Major League Baseball and Budweiser is a direct result of the commitment from the League, the MLB Clubs and all the campaign partners,” said Jill Pepper, Executive Director of TEAM Coalition. “Teamwork is what this campaign is all about. It is proof that when everyone - including the fans - takes responsibility, everyone wins.”

During the 2016 MLB regular season, nearly 585,000 baseball fans planned ahead and made a responsible, winning play by pledging to be designated drivers.

The top five MLB Clubs for designated drivers in 2016 are:

• St. Louis Cardinals:  63,081 designated drivers
  
• San Diego Padres:  49,245 designated drivers
  
• Milwaukee Brewers:  39,632 designated drivers
  
• Toronto Blue Jays:  33,880 designated drivers
  
• Detroit Tigers:  31,301 designated drivers
  

 About Major League Baseball

Major League Baseball (MLB) is the most historic professional sports league in the United States and consists of 30 member clubs in the U.S. and Canada, representing the highest level of professional baseball. Major League Baseball is the best-attended sport in North America, and since 2004, MLB has enjoyed its best-attended seasons in the history of the game, with each regular season eclipsing the 73 million mark. Led by Commissioner Robert D. Manfred, Jr., MLB currently features record levels of labor peace, competitive balance and industry revenues, as well as the most comprehensive drug-testing program in American professional sports. MLB remains committed to making an impact in the communities of the U.S., Canada and throughout the world, perpetuating the sport’s larger role in society and permeating every facet of baseball’s business, marketing and community relations endeavors. With the continued success of MLB Advanced Media and MLB Network, MLB continues to find innovative ways for its fans to enjoy America’s National Pastime and a truly global game. For more information on Major League Baseball, visit www.MLB.com.

About Anheuser-Busch

Anheuser-Busch and its employees build on a legacy of corporate social responsibility by focusing on three key areas: promoting alcohol responsibility, preserving and protecting the environment and supporting local communities. In the past three decades, Anheuser-Busch and its wholesalers have invested more than $1 billion in national advertising campaigns and community-based programs to encourage responsible drinking and prevent underage drinking and drunk driving. Anheuser-Busch reduced total water use at its breweries 15 percent over the last 5 years and by 48 percent over the last 10 years. The company has been a leading aluminum recycler for more than 30 years. Since 1997, Anheuser-Busch and its Foundation have invested in local communities through donations of more than $573 million to charitable organizations. The company also has provided more than 73.6 million cans of emergency drinking water to people impacted by natural and other disasters since 1988. Based in St. Louis, Anheuser-Busch, the leading American brewer, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch InBev, the leading global brewer. For more information, visit www.anheuserbusch.com.

About TEAM Coalition

TEAM Coalition is an alliance of professional and collegiate sports, entertainment facilities, concessionaires, stadium service providers, the beer industry, distillers, broadcasters, governmental traffic safety experts, and others working together to promote responsible drinking and positive fan behavior at sports and entertainment facilities. TEAM Coalition's members and supporters include Major League Baseball, Anheuser-Busch Companies, Delaware North Sportservice, Major League Soccer, NASCAR, the National Basketball Association, the National Football League, the National Hockey League, National Collegiate Athletic Association, Americrown, Aramark, Legends, Spectra, Beer Institute, National Beer Wholesalers Association, Constellation, HEINEKEN USA, MillerCoors, Brown-Forman, the International Association of Venue Managers, Stadium Managers Association, Live Nation, Contemporary Services Corporation, the National Association of Broadcasters and the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. 

For more information, go to TEAMCoalition.org, FansDontLetFansDriveDrunk.org 

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Jill Pepper, TEAM Coalition, 703-647-7430, [email protected]
David McKenzie, Budweiser, [email protected] 
David Hochman, Major League Baseball, 212-931-7652, [email protected]