How the 'HERO Bus' Prevents Drunk Driving for Twenty-Somethings Group

OCEAN CITY, N.J., Oct. 9, 2006 -- A group of young friends in New Jersey have taken designated driving to a whole new level. They bought their own bus to stay safe when they go out on the town.

The group of twenty-somethings, led by Nicholas Rosetti, a mortgage planner, bought the used 15-passenger bus on eBay from a Long Island school system for $511. His roommate and co-worker Craig Jancay serves as the designated driver for the HERO Bus when they visit area bars and taverns.

"We had heard a lot of horror stories about drunk drivers and didn't want to be part of the problem," says Rosetti. The group has been commended for their novel idea by the HERO Campaign for Designated Drivers, a national drunk-driving prevention organization.

"The HERO Bus is an idea that can be duplicated around the country," states Bill Elliott, founder of the HERO Campaign and its slogan: Be a HERO. Be a Designated Driver. "The hero is the designated driver."

The HERO Campaign was inspired by the death of Elliott's son, Navy Ensign John Elliott, a 2000 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy who was killed by a drunk driver as he was traveling from Annapolis, MD, to his home in New Jersey for his mother's birthday.

For Emily Frank, a member of the HERO Bus brigade, it's all about common sense. "There's no reason you can't have fun and be safe, too," says the Maryland school teacher who summers at the New Jersey shore. "It sure beats loading everyone into a number of cars, or taking cabs, which can be expensive."

"Everyone throws in a couple of bucks for gas and we're on our way," adds Keith Milligan, a nursing student who is another of Rosetti's roommates, along with Doug Pires, a financial planner.

The HERO Campaign is active throughout New Jersey. Participating bars, taverns and stadiums offer free soft drinks to reward designated drivers. HERO Campaign television commercials featuring John Elliott and his sister Jennifer are now airing nationwide on Comcast Cable.

For more information visit the HERO Campaign website at http://www.herocampaign.org/.