By ALEX COSTELLO
The cards, which cost $4, are intended to prevent students of high school and college age from finding themselves in dangerous situations. The cards are good in the tri-state area, in Rockville Centre and surrounding towns for an unlimited number of free rides home, 24-hours a day, capping at $100 a ride, until they expire in September 2010. Lifeline also pays gratuities to participating taxi and limousine companies.
Just in time for the prom and summer seasons, the card can be used in a variety of situations - when a student is unable to drive safely, to avoid getting into a car with an impaired driver, to leave a menacing date incident or when one's vehicle breaks down, is impounded or stolen.
Village resident Michael Caffrey, who with RVC Youth Council Chairwoman Beth Hammerman is spearheading the Student Lifeline project, has already distributed over 200 of the cards. Order forms and checks for the cards, written to Student Lifeline, may be dropped off in sealed envelopes at South Side High School's guidance office, the public library and the St. Agnes Youth Ministry office. And about $1,000 has been donated to the fund so far for the program.
"We did a big mailing to all the 10th, 11th, and 12th graders using the PTA's mailing list, with their blessing," Caffrey said. "And Molloy mailed out about 200 to all the parochial schools that are in the youth ministry."
The idea for this program came to Caffrey late one December night when he was taking the train home from work in New York. On the train were kids coming back from a concert, and some of them were drinking.
"It didn't bother me; I'm not judgmental that way," said Caffrey. "But there were a bunch of girls on the phone in the car, and they were calling people to get a ride because they did not want to ride with the kid that was drinking." That night, Caffrey said he was a wreck thinking about whether those kids got home safely. The next day, he e-mailed the village to try to start a program for teens like those girls, and was eventually put into contact with people from Student Lifeline.
"So if a kid gets off the train and he's drunk, instead of getting into his car, he can take a cab home and there's no questions asked," Caffrey said.
Parents who did not receive a form can email Caffrey at m.caffrey@live.com. Caffrey said that among a growing number of groups and individuals, the Rockville Centre Lions Club has expressed support for the initiative. Anyone interested in donating to the project can now write a tax deductible check to the RVC Lions Club Endowment Fund, noting "Student Lifeline" in the memo portion of the check. Anyone interested in contributing to the initiative can also contact Mike Caffrey at his e-mail address. For more information on Student Lifeline, visit ww.studentlifeline.com.
Comments about this story? ACostello@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 207.
