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.
"With CARPOOL, we know that students will get home safely," Seaton said. "We don't want to have to take people to jail, but we don't want people to get hurt even more."
Seaton said the goal of saving lives is the same for both for CARPOOL and CSPD.
"CARPOOL ensures that there will be one less drunk driver on the road," Seaton said. "We would much rather have a student riding with CARPOOL than riding in the back of a police car with us."
CARPOOL received the Outstanding Community Service Award from CSPD in 2003.
Colin Voke, senior electrical engineering major and CARPOOL public relations director, has been involved with CARPOOL for the last five semesters and said he has had many fond memories from his time with the organization.
"When we pick up patrons near the back porch on Northgate, there is a line of trees and for some reason I always get pooped on by the birds!" Voke said.
He also remembers a time when they brought their mascot, a huge pink gorilla, up to Northgate.
"One of our patrons stole our mascot and ran around Northgate with it - but eventually a police officer acquired it and returned it to us," Voke said.
As CARPOOL continues to grow, so do the memories for students that are involved in the organization, Voke said.
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