TEAM Coalition Proudly Partners With Hillard Heintze for Responsibility Has Its Rewards Sweepstakes

ALEXANDRIA, VA -- (Marketwire) -- 10/28/09 -- TEAM Coalition (Techniques for Effective Alcohol Management) is proud to partner with Hillard Heintze, a leading strategic security advisory and management firm, to confirm the eligibility of grand prize winners in the Responsibility Has Its Rewards (RHIR) sweepstakes for designated drivers with all professional sports leagues.

Game 1 of the Major League Baseball World Series® is tonight at Yankee Stadium. The Yankees Designated Driver for the Season, Jason Abelove, received two tickets to the game and will be recognized on the stadium video board as one of the grand prize winners of the RHIR sweepstakes with MLB. On Saturday, October 31, 2009, the Phillies Designated Driver for the Season, Carol Schiffman, will attend Game 3 of the World Series and she will also be recognized on the stadium video board at Citizens Bank Park as the other grand prize winner of the RHIR sweepstakes with MLB. Hillard Heintze provided background checks for both winners with the support of S2Verify, the background screening industry's new revolutionary technology, to confirm their eligibility.

Hillard Heintze will provide similar services for TEAM Coalition when TEAM rewards the Designated Drivers for the Season who will attend MLS Cup® at Qwest Field on November 22, 2009, Super Bowl XLIV® at Dolphin Stadium on February 7, 2010, the 2010 NCAA® Men's Final Four® and Championship Game in April 2010, the Stanley Cup Finals® in May 2010 and the NBA Finals® in June 2010.

TEAM Coalition is an alliance of professional and collegiate sports, entertainment facilities, concessionaires, stadium service providers, the beer industry, broadcasters, governmental traffic safety experts, and others working together to promote responsible drinking and positive fan behavior at sports and entertainment facilities. TEAM Coalition members are united by a shared mission to provide effective alcohol service training in public assembly facilities and promote responsible alcohol consumption that enhances the entertainment experience while reducing alcohol-related instances both in facilities and on surrounding roadways.

To accomplish this mission, TEAM focuses on three main efforts --

-- Training for facility employees in the effective sale, service, and consumption of alcohol -- Defining, communicating and enforcing alcohol service and fan conduct policies at sports and entertainment facilities -- Promotional campaigns to encourage fans to designate a sober driver and behave appropriately

TEAM's Responsibility Has Its Rewards(TM) promotion for designated drivers counted half a million sports fans who pledged to be designated drivers at MLB, MLS, NFL and NBA games in 2008. TEAM anticipates the total number for 2009 to be even greater. MLB saw nearly a ten-percent increase in designated drivers from 334,000 in 2008 to 365,000 in 2009.

"We're very proud to be supporting TEAM Coalition's promotion," said Arnette Heintze, co-founder and CEO of Hillard Heintze, recently ranked on the 2009 Inc. 500 List as one of the fastest-growing private companies in the United States. "Almost every single day, we're working shoulder-to-shoulder with some of the largest and most important entertainment companies, national sports franchises and major event sponsors in this country to help their staffing, training and operational decision-makers understand that the persistence with which they promote, reinforce and sustain a responsible approach to alcohol consumption can have an enormous impact in reducing their overall risk and legal liability, improving their security-related outcomes, and protecting the safety of their fans and visitors as well as their capital assets and, ultimately, their corporate brands and reputations."

"It is critical to TEAM Coalition that the winners of the Responsibility Has Its Rewards sweepstakes for designated drivers are true representatives of responsible behavior," said Jill Pepper, executive director of TEAM Coalition. "Hillard Heintze provides us with assurance that the Designated Drivers for the Season and sweepstakes winners are exemplary fans, worthy of such special experiences -- not only to attend the games but to be recognized on behalf of all the fans who pledge to stay sober and make sure their friends and family get home safely."

About TEAM Coalition

TEAM Coalition members and supporters include Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer, National Basketball Association, National Football League, National Hockey League, National Collegiate Athletic Association, ARAMARK, Delaware North Companies -- Sportservice, Beer Institute, Anheuser-Busch Companies, MillerCoors Brewing Company, National Association of Broadcasters, Live Nation, Contemporary Services Corporation, International Association of Assembly Managers, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. For more information go to www.teamcoalition.org.

About Hillard Heintze

Hillard Heintze provides the strategic thought leadership, trusted counsel and end-to-end services that help senior executives -- those responsible for the performance of leading public and private corporations as well as government agencies and major public service organizations -- assess, establish and carry out best-in-class security strategies and investigations to protect and preserve the safety of their people, property, performance and reputation. For more information go to

www.hillardheintze.com.

Add to Digg Bookmark with del.icio.us Add to Newsvine

Contact:
Jill Pepper
703-647-7431

jill@teamcoalition.org