Dramatic Video Created by Comcast-Spectacor Enhances School Presentations

Malvern, Pa. - Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital's Cruisin' Not Boozin'Program, an award-winning program designed to prevent injuries from drinking and driving, now begins each of its school presentations with a dramatic 7-minute video showing the daily struggles of the injured and their families.  The video was produced for Cruisin' Not Boozin' free of charge by the Philadelphia-based sports and entertainment firm Comcast Spectacor's in-house marketing communication agency, 3601 Creative Group.

"Comcast-Spectacor took on the challenge of creating a video that draws young people into an awareness of the grave risks from driving impaired," says Carole Flounders, coordinator of the prevention program.  "The video effectively sets the stage for our speakers, most of whom have experienced life-changing brain and spinal cord injuries.  It shows their daily challenges and the long-term impact of driving impaired not only on those injured, but on their siblings and parents."

The Cruisin' Not Boozin' program, which has reached out to more than 300,000 students since it began in 1989, is offered at middle schools, high schools, colleges and adult community programs throughout the Philadelphia area.  Better awareness helps lower the risks of injury, says Flounders, who added that nationally more than 300,000 teen passengers and drivers ages 16-20 were injured and 6,000 died as a result of vehicle crashes in 2002 (Fatality Analysis Reporting System, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration). About 36 percent of all teen driving deaths are alcohol related (CDC, 2000).

Grant Support Strong
Community funding for the program remains strong with more than $100,000 in grant support from the Allstate Foundation over the years.  In addition, the program recently received:

• $8,400 from The Phoenixville Community Health Foundation, a first time grant to fund twenty four Cruisin' Not Boozin' programs in the Phoenixville area.
• $5,000 from the Boeing Employees Community Fund (Pennsylvania region).
• $5,000 from Subaru of America Inc.
• Other sponsors include Wal-Mart Foundation, Enterprise Rent-A-Car Foundation and Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital's Volunteer Association.

Cruisin' Not Boozin's peer-to-peer approach has proven effective in changing attitudes of teenagers and young adults.  In recent follow-up surveys, two out of every three students indicated their attitudes toward drinking and driving changed, and more than 90 percent said the program convinced them not to drive after drinking.  More than 25,000 teens and youths are expected to attend Cruisin' Not Boozin' presentations during the coming year.

A Mission to Prevent Injuries
Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital, which is affiliated with Main Line Health, is a pioneer and leader in physical medicine and rehabilitation.  The wide range of illnesses and injuries treated at this 148-bed hospital - the largest rehabilitation hospital in the region - includes brain injury, stroke, spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, chronic pain, and orthopedic injuries.

The hospital's mission is not only to treat catastrophic injuries but to prevent them.  Cruisin' Not Boozin' is the hospital's primary injury-prevention program and recently received the 2006 Achievement Award for community outreach from the Hospital & Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania.

If you have a school, community organization or parent group you would like the Cruisin' Not Boozin' program to visit, please contact Flounders at 610-251-5465, e-mail cnb@mlhs.org or click onto our web-site at www.mainlinehealth.org/cnb.

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Note to Editors:  Comcast-Spectacor (comcast-spectacor.com) is the Philadelphia-based sports and entertainment company which owns the Philadelphia Flyers (NHL), the Philadelphia 76ers (NBA), the Philadelphia Phantoms (AHL), the two arenas in which their teams play, the Wachovia Center and Wachovia Spectrum, four Flyers Skate Zone community ice skating and hockey rinks and Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia. 

In addition, Comcast-Spectacor is also the principal owner of Global Spectrum, the fastest growing firm in the public assembly management field with more than 60 facilities throughout the United States and Canada; Ovations Food Services, a food and beverage service provider; New Era Tickets, a ticketing and marketing company for public assembly facilities; Front Row Marketing Services, a commercial rights sales company; and 3601 Creative Group, a full-service in-house advertising agency.  In a partnership with Disson Skating, Comcast-Spectacor annually produces 10 nationally televised figure skating spectaculars on NBC.

Published:3-29-2007

Cynthia Atwood

Public Relations Coordinator

610-251-5710

atwoodc@mlhs.org