Student Organization Spotlight
Designated Dawgs
Contact Name: Ally Walls
Email: info@ugadesignateddawgs.org
Who are you?
Designated Dawgs, in correlation with Safe Ride Programs United (SRPU) programs across America, is a proactive safe ride program, created and initiated by undergraduate students at the University of Georgia.
The purpose of our organization is to decrease the incidences of accidents and deaths caused by drunk driving, rapes, muggings, and other threats to saftey that frequently occur in college communities by providing safe, free, nonjudgmental rides home to UGA students and others in the Athens community.
How long have you been active at UGA?
Since January 2001
How many members do you have?
150+ unique volunteers each year; applications for Spring 2010 membership will be available on our web site
Past Events/Activities
Nights of Operation:
Our nights of operation account for the majority of our activities. We operate on Thursday and Friday nights in the fall and Friday and Saturday nights in the spring, from 11 p.m. - 3 a.m. Each night requires a minimum of 20 volunteers. Volunteers meet around 9:30 p.m. to eat dinner, socialize and review procedures. We rent up to five vehicles from Enterprise Rent-a-Car to use to pick riders up from our Dispatch location on the corner of College Ave. and Washington St. and bring them home. There are several different jobs that a volunteer can perform during a night of operations. Drivers and navigators (the volunteers in the passenger seats) operate the vehicles. Dispatchers keep order at our pick-up location and escort riders to the cars. WalkDawgs walk around downtown and in some bars and other establishments to pass out handbills letting people know we are operating that night.
Safe Ride Programs United Conference:
Each February, several members of our leadership board travel to College Station, TX for the annual SRPU conference held by Texas A&M's C.A.R.P.O.O.L, the sister organization after which Designated Dawgs was modeled. There, safe ride programs and representatives from universities wishing to start a program meet to discuss challenges and share ideas.
Awareness Tables:
Designated Dawgs frequently promotes awareness of the organization, as well as information about the dangers of drinking and driving through hosting tables at Tate and other informational meetings on campus.
Appreciation Banquet:
Each December, Designated Dawgs hosts an appreciation banquet to thank our volunteers and sponsors for their continued support.
Fundraising:
Designated Dawgs holds several fundraisers to contribute to our annual budget of upwards of $20,000. Recent fundraisers have included a battle of the bands and percentage nights at local restaurants.
Plans for this year?
Designated Dawgs has some big plans for the upcoming months. We just resumed our operations as of Oct. 8 due to cuts in funding and other complications. We plan on operating the following dates in the fall:
- Oct. 15 and 16
- Oct. 22 and 23
- Nov. 5 and 6
- Nov. 12 and 13
In the spring, we plan on operating every Friday and Saturday night with the exception of Unversity holidays. If additional funding is secured, we may extend operations to Thursday nights in the spring as well.
We plan on hosting several more fundraisers and awareness events in the future, including a car bash, a letter writing campaign, and additional percentage nights.
Also, we anticipate reaching the milestone of having given 60,000 rides within the next few weeks!
What are the benefits of being involved in your student organization?
Drunk driving is a unbiased killer; it can affect anyone, anywhere at any time. There are several student organizations that do tremendous services for our community, but what makes Designated Dawgs unique is the opportuity to make an immediate impact on the safety of the community and improve the lives of our peers and neighbors.
Here are 10 more reasons to get involved with DD:
10. Get awesome t-shirts!
9. Attend social events for members.
8. Learn how to find your way around Athens.
7. Meet new people.
6. Make a difference in the Athens community.
5. Hang out in downtown Athens for FREE!
4. Have several opportunities for leadership positions and internship credit.
3. Get a FREE dinner from sponsors including Papa John’s, Last Resort Grill, Chik-Fil-A, Buffalo’s Southwest Café, Smoothie King, Subway, Doc Chey’s and Barberito’s.
2. Build your resume by earning several hours of community service.
1. SAVE A LIFE
Does your organization collaborate with other student organizations?
We often have other student organizations who volunteer to "sponsor" nights of operation by supplying volunteers for that night. For example, we have recently had Gamma Sigma Sigma, Delta Sigma Pi, and SGA who have all arrangned to sponsor nights of operations. We love having other organizations out to see what Designated Dawgs is all about.
If your organization is interested in sponsoring a night, email us at dno@ugadesignateddawgs.org.
Awards or recognition:
2004 UGA S.O.A.R Awards: Organization of the Year (WatchDawgs)
2003 UGA S.O.A.R Awards: Outstanding Service to the Community (WatchDawgs)
2002 UGA S.O.A.R Awards: Outstanding Service to the Community (WatchDawgs)
Do you have any funny stories from events or student organization moments that you would like to share?
Throughout the course of nightly operations, volunteers always hear funny stories downtown or in the cars.
One of our favorite stories involves taking names at Dispatch. We never require riders to give their real names so they don't feel threatened or forced to identify themselves. One night, a rider decided to make up a name. He told us his name was "Jesus." When the Dispatcher laughed asked where he was headed home, he responded without skipping a beat: "Bethlehem."
How can students get involved with your student organization?
Check out our web site at www.ugadesignateddawgs.org to fill out an application to be a member for Spring 2010. If you'd like to volunteer in November to see what it's like, sign up online, or email dno@ugadesignateddawgs.org.
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