HOUSTON (April 5, 2017) – The Houston Astros, Anheuser-Busch, Silver Eagle Distributors and Aramark continue to work in partnership to implement the Budweiser Good Sport program at Minute Maid Park, an action plan designed to educate fans about the importance of using a designated driver, buckling up and demonstrating positive fan behavior during the 2017 Astros season. The program officially kicked-off this week at the Houston Astros Opening Day Street Fest, where Bud Ambassadors were present at the Budweiser Good Sport booth promoting responsible fan behavior through the program’s underlying message: “Be a Good Sport, Designate a Driver.”
In total, the Good Sport program kicked-off the season with nearly 300 Astros fans making the pledge to be Budweiser Good Sport Designated Drivers.
“Part of our ongoing commitment to the community is to encourage responsible behavior when it comes to drinking and one of the cornerstones of this effort is the Good Sport program,” said John L. Nau, Chairman and CEO, Silver Eagle Distributors. “We are proud to continue our Good Sport designated driver partnership this season with the Houston Astros, Aramark and Anheuser-Busch and continue the tradition of Houston Astros games being an enjoyable, fan-friendly environment.”
The Good Sport program will help influence and educate fans to act responsibly through key strategies and incentives. These include:
- Communicating messages throughout the game that promote responsible fan behavior;
- Having a Good Sport booth at section 105 during each Astros home game where fans can sign up as a designated driver and pledge to get their group home safely.
- Providing every fan who signs up to be a Good Sport Designated Driver during a home game with a free soft drink courtesy of Aramark.
All season-long, fans who pledge to be Good Sport Designated Drivers at Astros home games at Minute Maid Park are also automatically entered to be the Designated Driver of the Season. One responsible fan will be randomly-selected as the Good Sport Designated Driver of the Season and receive two tickets to an end-of-season Astros game, batting practice field access prior to the start of the game, as well as a Houston Astros prize pack, courtesy of the Astros Foundation. The Budweiser Good Sport Designated Driver of the Season will also be recognized in a live shot on the Astros jumbotron during the game.
“The safety and comfort of our fans are top priorities for the Houston Astros,” said Astros Senior VP of Corporate Partnerships Matt Brand. “This initiative promotes a safe environment for all, both at Minute Maid Park as well as traveling home after the game. The Good Sport program helps keep our fans safe all season long.”
A fun added component to the Good Sport program is the Budweiser Good Sport Challenge, a friendly competition between two Major League Baseball teams battling to sign up more Good Sport Designated Drivers than their competitor. Last season the Houston Astros had 19,521 sign ups over 81 games and were victorious over the Texas Rangers. This year the Houston Astros will once again face-off against the Rangers and encourage all fans to sign up as designated drivers to help the Astros win its Good Sport challenge.
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 preventing drunk driving and underage drinking and promoting responsible retailing and advertising. Anheuser-Busch reduced total water use at its breweries by nearly 50 percent over the last 10 years. The company has been a leading aluminum recycler for more than 30 years. Each year Anheuser-Busch and its Foundation invest approximately $20 million in donations to charitable organizations that help in local communities. The company also has provided over 76 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.anheuser-busch.com.
About Silver Eagle Distributors
Silver Eagle Distributors, L.P. is the nation’s largest Anheuser-Busch distributor and second largest overall beer distributor. The company employs more than 1,500 employees that serve 16 counties in Texas through operations in Houston, San Antonio, Pasadena, Conroe, Cypress and Rosenberg. Silver Eagle also distributes a broad selection of import brands, microbrews and craft beers and several non-alcohol beverages and waters. For more information, visit www.silvereagle.com.