CARPOOL celebrates seven years of service
By: Diana Burbules
Issue date: 9/15/06 Section: News
CARPOOL celebrates its seventh anniversary this weekend, looking back at its growth from a student group at Texas A&M to a nationally recognized organization.
CARPOOL has been providing students and the community with safe rides since Sept. 16, 1999, when it was founded by Jeff Schiefelbein, Class of 2001. Since then, CARPOOL has given over 90,000 rides and is expecting to give its 100,000th ride sometime this spring, said Rebecca Mathews, senior marketing major and CARPOOL chairman.
Mathews said she has been involved with the organization for three years now and is excited about how it has grown. CARPOOL is motivated because of its influence on the decreased amount of drunk drivers since the start of operations in 1999. Its main goal is to save the lives of fellow Aggies, she said.
"We were the first successful organization of our type … and now we've extended the organization to other universities such as University of Georgia, Colorado, West Michigan and Stephen F. Austin."
The organization has received much recognition on a national level. Jeff Scheifelbein, founder of CARPOOL, was recognized by the President of the United States and received The Daily Point of Life Award.
Recently, Walt Disney Television and the American Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) have been looking for ways to get more volunteers involved throughout the country in organizations like CARPOOL, Mathews said.
CARPOOL was selected to be a part of a television special documenting their organization and how it has influenced the community. The special will be filmed on Sept. 29, and will be aired sometime in November, Mathews said.
"They wanted to do a special on student organizations such as CARPOOL and looked up the receivers of The Daily Point of Life Award," Mathews said. "They drew finalists from that, and Jeff Scheifelbein and CARPOOL was one of the finalists."
Master Officer Rhonda Seaton of the College Station Police Department (CSPD) said CARPOOL is a well-respected and acknowledged organization in the CSPD.
CARPOOL has been providing students and the community with safe rides since Sept. 16, 1999, when it was founded by Jeff Schiefelbein, Class of 2001. Since then, CARPOOL has given over 90,000 rides and is expecting to give its 100,000th ride sometime this spring, said Rebecca Mathews, senior marketing major and CARPOOL chairman.
Mathews said she has been involved with the organization for three years now and is excited about how it has grown. CARPOOL is motivated because of its influence on the decreased amount of drunk drivers since the start of operations in 1999. Its main goal is to save the lives of fellow Aggies, she said.
"We were the first successful organization of our type … and now we've extended the organization to other universities such as University of Georgia, Colorado, West Michigan and Stephen F. Austin."
The organization has received much recognition on a national level. Jeff Scheifelbein, founder of CARPOOL, was recognized by the President of the United States and received The Daily Point of Life Award.
Recently, Walt Disney Television and the American Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) have been looking for ways to get more volunteers involved throughout the country in organizations like CARPOOL, Mathews said.
CARPOOL was selected to be a part of a television special documenting their organization and how it has influenced the community. The special will be filmed on Sept. 29, and will be aired sometime in November, Mathews said.
"They wanted to do a special on student organizations such as CARPOOL and looked up the receivers of The Daily Point of Life Award," Mathews said. "They drew finalists from that, and Jeff Scheifelbein and CARPOOL was one of the finalists."
Master Officer Rhonda Seaton of the College Station Police Department (CSPD) said CARPOOL is a well-respected and acknowledged organization in the CSPD.
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