Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke held a press conference March 13, 2015, to discuss distracted driving and the Safe Ride program in preparation for St. Patrick’s Day and future holiday celebrations that involve alcohol.

Safe Ride is a collaboration created by the Department of Transportation and the Milwaukee County Hospitality Association. Safe Ride is the nation’s largest designated driver program and Hupy and Abraham is its sole corporate sponsor. Investigator Tony “Pan” Sanfelipo and Attorney James Shilobrit represented the firm at the press conference. This is the second consecutive year Hupy and Abraham has sponsored the Safe Ride program.

At participating bar establishments, patrons that are too intoxicated to drive can alert a bartender or staff member to receive a voucher that covers $25 of a taxi ride. Hupy and Abraham has assisted the program by providing additional funds so Safe Ride can reduce the amount of traffic accidents.

Attorney Jim Shilobrit, Sharon Ward, Sheriff David Clarke, and Tony Pan Sanfelipo
From left to right: Attorney Jim Shilobrit, Sharon Ward, Sheriff David Clarke, and Tony "Pan" Sanfelipo.

Sharon Ward, treasurer of Safe Ride, spoke briefly about the program’s future goals. She said, “Safe Ride has been in existence in Milwaukee since 2001. Initially, we had a lot of usage and then those numbers went down. But recently, we have been pushing to grow our program. We would like to see 1,000 rides this year alone. This means that we have extensive funds to raise. We want to thank Hupy and Abraham for being our corporate sponsor. It is amazing that they realize the importance of our program because it does help keep Milwaukee highways and streets safe.”

Sheriff Clarke shared that most people will participate in recreational activities safely. However, a large percent still do not respect the rules of the road and make a choice to drive while intoxicated. He emphasized how important it is to prevent impaired driving, and how citizens need to remain safe all year round, not only during holiday seasons. In 2014, over 38 Milwaukee deputies worked more than 532 straight hours to ensure the safety of the public during the week prior to, and following, St. Patrick’s Day celebrations.

The sheriff also reminded citizens of the “Move Over Law” that requests drivers to give emergency responders proper room while they are conducting traffic stops.  

Hupy and Abraham has several programs to bring awareness to all varieties of distracted driving, including driving under the influence and texting while driving. To commit to the “DNT TXT N DRV” pledge, visit this page

Jill Erin Wellskopf
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Director of Marketing, Hupy and Abraham