STRIPES closed for the semester
STRIPES, a safe rides program available to MU students Thursday through Saturday nights, completed 9,716 safe rides this semester.
“We predicted we would hit around 9,700 rides,” STRIPES spokesman Andrew Worall said in an e-mail. “We’re very excited about this accomplishment.”
This number puts STRIPES at more than 96,000 safe rides given since its October 2001 establishment.
“I certainly hope our number continue to rise,” Worall said. “We’ve got a great group of members signed up for next semester, and I’m confident they will be just as passionate about saving lives as they were this last semester.”
Worall, a former Maneater staff member, said having the option to run more cars on the weekends than previous semesters one of the biggest reasons STRIPES was able to complete over 9,000 rides home. STRIPES volunteers played a major role in safe ride completion as well.
“(STRIPES volunteers) are really the backbone of the program,” Worall said. “While we say we’re proud of STRIPES, truly the members are what make everything happen.”
STRIPES will reach the 100,000 safe rides milestone around the middle of March, Worall said.
“We're just under 96,500 right now,” Worall said. “We're hoping to make it a very public accomplishment with lots of free stuff. We've already had 1,200 shirts printed by Diggit Graphics to give away at the event.”
STRIPES operation is now closed for the semester, but will resume on Jan. 20, 2011, under a new director, Jeri Pautler.