Wilton SafeRides launched its 6th consecutive year of providing safe rides home to all Wilton High School students with a kick-off meeting last Sunday, Sept. 16 at TrackSide Teen Center. A record 126 student volunteers attended the meeting.
SafeRides is a program for any student in grades 9-12 to call 203.834.CARE (203.834.2273) and get a free ride home in Wilton from 10 p.m.-2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights. All calls, names and destinations are kept completely confidential, no questions asked.
Also in attendance at the kick-off were Lieutenant David Hartman (WHS ’94) from the Wilton Police Department; John Meyers, secretary of the Wilton Volunteer Ambulance Corps; and his daughter, Alex Myers (WHS ’19), who is also a member of WVAC.
Topics discussed included the perils of drinking and driving, how to recognize alcohol poisoning, and when to
call 911.
“To have an alum of Wilton High School and a peer like Alex provide us with first hand experience and insight was very helpful for everyone that came to our meeting,” said Madeline Burke who co-heads the program with Bridgette Wall. “We are really excited to be starting up this Friday night, Sept. 21, just in time for Homecoming,” Wall added.
Mark Ketley, director of TrackSide also addressed the group. “Wilton SafeRides has become the model program in all of Fairfield County and that Joel Barlow High School has patterned their program after ours. We are proud to have SafeRides operate out of TrackSide.”