Miami, FL, June 7, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Although the final score favored San Antonio, Miami Heat fan Pat Hoskin was particularly excited to attend Game 1 of The Finals 2013 last night. Hoskin was named "Designated Driver for the Season" for the Heat and attended Game 1 as a grand prize winner of the "Responsibility Has Its Rewards" sweepstakes.
Ruth Hernandez was named "Designated Driver for the Season" for the San Antonio Spurs and will attend Game 3 of The Finals as the other grand prize winner of the sweepstakes. Hoskin and Hernandez were randomly selected among all of the fans who pledged to be designated drivers at the Heat and Spurs home games. Designated drivers pledge to refrain from drinking alcohol and provide their friends and family with a safe ride home.
Throughout the season, the NBA, Techniques for Effective Alcohol Management (TEAM) Coalition and NBA teams across the country have worked together to make more fans aware of the designated driver programs at NBA arenas, encourage responsible drinking, positive fan behavior and promote traffic safety. The success of those efforts is demonstrated by the fact that more than 65,700 adults pledged to be designated drivers during the 2012-13 NBA season. A "Designated Driver for the Season" from an NBA team not playing in The Finals 2013 also will randomly be chosen to attend the 2014 NBA All-Star Game.
The top five NBA teams for designated drivers at the end of the 2012-13 regular season are:
• Dallas Mavericks with 9,061 designated drivers
• Oklahoma City Thunder with 8,200 designated drivers
• San Antonio Spurs with 5,679 designated drivers
• Houston Rockets with 5,067 designated drivers
• Cleveland Cavaliers with 4,957 designated drivers
"The success of the Responsibility Has Its Rewards campaign with the NBA this season is a direct result of the commitment from the league, the teams and all the campaign partners," said Jill Pepper, executive director of TEAM Coalition. "Teamwork is what this campaign is all about. We are demonstrating that when everyone - including the fans - takes responsibility, everyone wins."
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's members and supporters include the National Basketball Association, Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer, NASCAR, the National Football League, the National Hockey League, the National Collegiate Athletic Association, ARAMARK, Delaware North Companies Sportservice, Ovations Food Services, Beer Institute, National Beer Wholesalers Association, Anheuser-Busch, MillerCoors, Brown-Forman, Live Nation, National Association of Broadcasters, Contemporary Services Corporation, Elite, International Association of Venue Managers, Stadium Managers Association and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. www.TEAMCoalition.org
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