Good Sam Safe Ride, South Lake Tahoe, California;
Over 37 years ago at Lake Tahoe, several hard partying friends decided there must be a better way to get home from a night out drinking in our local casinos.
The International Good Samaritans Safe Ride Program (a big name idea in a small town) was started to provide teams of sober designated drivers to be on call by beepers (all we had then) to respond to any calls from intoxicated drivers, their friends, or the bartenders who didn’t want their customers to drink and then drive themselves home.
It was quickly realized that this safe ride service needed to be free. Therefore the Good Sam plan (IGS) was to start a 501c3 nonprofit charity.
Miracle of miracles! The Program worked! During the first 10 years of service more than 50,000 carefully documented safe rides were given to intoxicated drivers and their intoxicated passengers, and their cars were safely delivered home by a small group of dedicated sober volunteers. To date, more than 100,000 intoxicated drivers and their friends have been delivered safely home in the Tahoe area
a 501c3
