EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP, N.J. (November 20, 2018) – Beginning this Thanksgiving Eve, the John R. Elliott HERO Campaign For Designated Drivers will be teaming up with shore area bar owners to say thank you to patrons who choose not to drink and drive. Beginning Wednesday evening, November 21, drivers who leave their automobiles parked overnight at participating establishments will find “HERO Thank You” gift certificates on their windshields the next morning.

Participating establishments include:

• Anchorage Tavern
• Charlie’s Bar & Restaurant
• Ducktown Tavern & Liquors
• Gourmet Italian Cuisine
• Gregory’s Restaurant & Bar
• Josie Kelly’s Public House
• Little Water Distillery
• Pitney Pub
• Sofia Restaurant
• George’s Pub
• Steve & Cookie’s
• The Windjammer
• Vagabond Kitchen & Tap House

“Thanksgiving Eve begins the holiday season when good times often include alcoholic beverages.  This simple reward program emphasizes the important role of designated drivers in making sure everyone arrives home safely,” said Bill Elliott, HERO Campaign Chairman. “In the spirit of the season of gratitude, we are saying ‘thank you’ to those who choose not to drink and drive.”

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 40% of traffic-related deaths during the holidays are a result of drunk drivers, compared to just 28% for the rest of the year. Annually, 1,200 people die between Thanksgiving and New Year’s as a result of drunk driving, and 25,000 are injured in traffic accidents caused by alcohol.

The HERO Campaign’s “HERO Thank You Reward” program will be repeated on New Year’s Eve, Super Bowl Sunday and St. Patrick’s Day.

Elliott and his wife Muriel Elliott established the HERO Campaign in memory of their son John, a Navy ensign who was killed by a drunken driver in July 2000, only two months after graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md.