In adherence with federal guidelines to “slow the spread” of covid-19 and in concert with localities’ actions regarding venues where people congregate, the nonprofit Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP) announced today that its 2020 St. Patrick’s Day SoberRide campaign is suspended.

WRAP’s 2020 St. Patrick’s Day SoberRide program was scheduled to be in operation today at 4:00 pm (St. Patrick’s Day) and continue until 4:00 am tomorrow as a way to keep Washington-metropolitan area roads safe from impaired drivers during this traditionally high-risk holiday. During this period, area residents age 21 and older celebrating with alcohol could download Lyft to their phones, then enter a SoberRide® code in the app’s “Promo” section to receive their no cost (up to $15) safe transportation home.

Last year, 697 persons in the Washington-metropolitan area used WRAP’s St. Patrick’s Day SoberRide® program rather than possibly driving home impaired. The charity also offers its SoberRide® program on Cinco de Mayo, Independence Day, Halloween and the winter holidays and is provided throughout Lyft’s Washington, D.C. coverage area which includes all or parts of: the District of Columbia; the Maryland counties of Montgomery and Prince George’s; and the Northern Virginia counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William.

Since 1991, WRAP’s SoberRide® program has provided 80,047 free safe rides home to would-be drunk drivers in the Greater Washington area.

Founded in 1982, the nonprofit [501(c)(3)] Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP) is a coalition of diverse interests using effective education, innovative programs and targeted advocacy to end alcohol-impaired driving and underage drinking in the Washington, DC metro area. Through public education, innovative health education programs and advocacy, WRAP is credited with keeping the metro-Washington area’s alcohol-related traffic deaths historically lower than the national average. More information about WRAP’s SoberRide® initiative can be found at www.SoberRide.com.